U Denver To Launch 'STEM for Grown-Ups'
The University of Denver's Center for
Professional Development will partner with the Denver-based Silicon
STEM Academy to offer "STEM for Grown-Ups," a new
curriculum of interactive courses
involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) that
teachers and
others can take for continuing education unit (CEU) credit.
The
Silicon STEM Academy, which provides training
programs in technology for both children and adults, will offer six
courses at
its facility in Denver while the University of Denver will offer the
credentialing that could lead to both CEU credit and academic credit.
"STEM
for GrownUps" is a suite of immersive STEM education programs intended
to give
professionals interdisciplinary, collaborative training in critical
thinking. Participants
can choose from workshops to short courses to certificates in robotics,
computer
programming, electronics, mobile app development and digital media.
The
goal of "STEM for Grown-Ups" is to
give teachers and other interested professionals the knowledge and
resource
they need to integrate 21st century subject
matter and critical
thinking skills into their classrooms.
"'STEM
for Grown-Ups' offers everyone the
opportunity to come back to school and learn the latest in the STEM
sciences,"
said Kim Gorgens, associate professor and executive director of the
Center for
Professional Development at the University of Denver. "The program will
equip
professionals with the tools to thrive in an ever more STEM-focused
world."
Along
with the CEU and college credit,
students can earn a specialty certificate by completing a sequence of
any three
Silicon STEM Academy intensive courses.
An introductory five-hour immersive
course will be held June 18 that will give participants a
taste of robotics,
coding and electronics. Participants in the course, which will cost
$100, will
receive 0.5 CEU at its completion.
About the Author
Michael Hart is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and the former executive editor of THE Journal.