RAINBOW CITY– The Challenger Learning Center of Northeast Alabama and the Etowah County Board of Education have established a partnership aimed at expanding hands-on STEM education for local students.
A memorandum of understanding between the organizations outlines student programs, teacher support, internships, and professional development opportunities.
The partnership also seeks to strengthen Northeast Alabama’s future workforce by giving students more experience in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Sixth-Grade Students to Receive Annual STEM Experience
Under the agreement, the Challenger Learning Center will provide one mission simulation and one STEM class each year for all sixth-grade students in the Etowah County school system.
The center will also give Etowah County schools priority when scheduling educational visits and other learning experiences.
CLCNA operates an educational facility in Rainbow City and provides curriculum and mission simulations through its relationship with the nonprofit Challenger Center for Space Science Education.
Students take part in hands-on activities designed to build teamwork, problem-solving skills, and interest in STEM careers.
The two organizations will also work together on scheduling, curriculum reviews, new programs, and evaluations of the program’s short- and long-term impact on students.
School System to Support Teaching Position
The Etowah County Board of Education will employ and compensate a teacher assigned to the Challenger Learning Center.
The agreement sets the teacher’s hourly rate at $56.67, with total compensation not to exceed $39,000. Pay, benefits, and working hours will remain consistent with those offered to similar Etowah County teachers.
The teacher will lead mission simulations and teach STEM classes to students visiting the center.
CLCNA and the school system will jointly participate in selecting, training, assigning, and evaluating the teacher.
The center will supervise the teacher’s work and programming. Because the center’s schedule may differ from the school calendar, some evening and weekend hours could be required.
The school system will provide the teacher with a laptop and an iPad for use at the center and during outreach programs.
It will also pay for the teacher to attend the Challenger Center’s annual conference. The first conference listed in the agreement is scheduled for Aug. 11-13 in Framingham, Massachusetts.
Internships and Professional Development Included
CLCNA will offer up to three internships each year for rising juniors and seniors.
The internships will allow students to gain work experience and earn community service credit while pursuing their academic goals.
The center will also provide quarterly professional development programs for teachers, administrators, and support staff.
Those sessions will focus on team building and STEM education. CLCNA and school system leaders will jointly determine the dates, length, and cost of each program.
The organizations will also explore academic and funding opportunities for Etowah County students.
Another part of the agreement calls for work toward a credentialing or badging system. That effort would recognize students who demonstrate skills connected to state learning standards and future workforce needs.
The school system will also work to document Challenger Learning Center experiences on student records as extended learning opportunities recognized by the Alabama State Department of Education.
Partnership Includes Program Evaluation
The Etowah County school system may provide aggregated and de-identified student information to help measure the program’s impact.
The data could help evaluate changes in STEM knowledge, student interest, engagement, and workforce preparation.
The agreement states that the school system will not share personally identifiable student information.
CLCNA will remain responsible for managing the organization, operating the center, and delivering mission simulations and other educational programs.
The memorandum will remain in effect for one year after both parties sign it. It will renew annually unless either organization ends the agreement with three months’ written notice.
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