Southwest Missouri State University (SMSU) in collaboration with Drury University is initiating the Midwestern Rural-Urban Collaborative (MRU Collaborative) project. The Collaborative is a mechanism for disseminating information about the activities of organizations throughout Missouri, Kansas, and Northeastern Oklahoma that promote the participation of girls in all fields of science, technology, mathematics, and engineering (STEM).
The region includes several urban areas and a large number of smaller rural communities. The region's rural communities are characteristically isolated and have limited access to the resources that encourage girls to pursue STEM activities. The Collaborative is disseminating models and information learned from two NSF-funded projects: "Opening the Horizon" (2000-2004), an informal program for middle school girls, and the model Northwest Girls Collaborative Project developed by the Puget Sound Center for Teaching Learning and Technology.
The model has the following elements:
o Outreach: An advisory board called the Champions Board identifies organizations involved in STEM activities in the region that are a good fit with the network. Members are from industry, retail, and educational institutions in the area.
o Forums and Conferences: A series of conferences and forums are organized to share information on how to make STEM more accessible for girls. They are held at various locations around the region and use video conferencing and online technologies to maximize the number of participants.
o Mini-Grants: To encourage collaboration among participating organizations mini-grants (up to $1000) are awarded to groups working to develop assessment activities and projects that will enhance the delivery of STEM programs to girls in this region.
Intellectual Merit The project enhances the quality of STEM programs in the targeted region by encouraging thoughtful and meaningful collaborations and evaluations, drawing on extensive experience of much larger projects. Information gained through the assessment of the individual programs and of the collaborative efforts proposed here will enhance the understanding of how STEM resources can be used in the most efficient and effective manner. The proposed MRU Collaborative will establish a coordinating system that leverages available resources of the collective.
Broader Impact By disseminating information from previous and ongoing STEM programs the proposed activities will serve as a model for collaborations between other urban and rural educational programs throughout the country. The cumulative strength of a network of small programs influences the region, attracts support and investment, and improves the quality of the programs. Ultimately, the effort addresses the need to attract more girls into science, mathematics, engineering, and technology.
