Arkansas STRIVE is a state-wide professional development program for Arkansas middle school and secondary school STEM teachers.
STRIVE is funded by the Arkansas Legislature. Teachers are placed on “real world” projects in the summer with organizations near their homes or schools. The program promotes inquiry and problem-solving teaching approaches.
For Summer 2018, the STRIVE Program will be temporarily suspended while the STRIVE office relocates on the campus of UA Little Rock and the STRIVE Program undergoes a reconceptualization process. Thus, no applications will be accepted this spring. With over 20 years of successful implementation and programming, the STRIVE Program seeks to take it’s programming and impact to the next level in Arkansas.
In April 2018, STRIVE participants from the 2015-2017 cohorts, along with STRIVE employers, public school principals, and faculty from CALS and CEHP will be invited to participate in a reconceptualizing think-tank for the 2018-19 academic year. Three face-to-face and/or video conferencing meetings will be scheduled to review, discuss, and explore new avenues for the STRIVE Program in June and July with respect to the opportunities and challenges that face middle school and high school STEM teachers in today’s schools throughout the state of Arkansas. The information gleaned from these meetings will be used to support STRIVE for the 2018-19 academic year.
Retaining the STRIVE Program’s important mission, the program will continue to (1) enhance the professional growth of Arkansas math, computer, and science teachers, (2) provide teachers with hands-on, real-world research experiences that expand their scientific and technological knowledge, (3) apply the newly acquired knowledge in the classroom and enrich the education of students, (4) develop the teachers’ abilities to use inquiry-based and problem-based teaching, and (5) increase the technological knowledge of students and their interests in STEM careers.
For more information, contact Kent Layton, Interim Director, STEM Education Center.
