The STRIVE Teacher Experience

Learn about our 2023 STRIVE Teacher Experiences! All 5 minute video summaries on our playlist here.

(clicking on video below will start playlist):

STRIVE 2023 Open House Teacher Videos

See the amazing work our teachers have done over the past year during their participation in the STRIVE program in Arkansas!

STRIVE Open House:

Hear from 2021 STRIVE participants about their experience!

2021 STRIVE: Lyndsey Rich with Hytrol

This is Lyndsey Rich’s experience with the STRIVE program. While many programs work with the students themselves, STRIVE focuses on working with Arkansas STEM teachers, providing opportunities for teachers to become immersed in an organization for a short period during the summer to see first-hand how diverse and far-reaching the skills they teach in their classroom related to the real world.

2021 STRIVE: Deborah Bradley with iWoodFix-IT

This is Deborah Bradley’s experience with the STRIVE program. While many programs work with the students themselves, STRIVE focuses on working with Arkansas STEM teachers, providing opportunities for teachers to become immersed in an organization for a short period during the summer to see first-hand how diverse and far-reaching the skills they teach in their classroom related to the real world.

2021 STRIVE: Amanda Smith with Norfork Fish Hatchery

This is Amanda Smith’s experience with the STRIVE program. While many programs work with the students themselves, STRIVE focuses on working with Arkansas STEM teachers, providing opportunities for teachers to become immersed in an organization for a short period during the summer to see first-hand how diverse and far-reaching the skills they teach in their classroom related to the real world.

2021 STRIVE: Anita Cegers-Coleman with Central AR Water

This is Anita Cegers-Coleman’s experience with the STRIVE program. While many programs work with the students themselves, STRIVE focuses on working with Arkansas STEM teachers, providing opportunities for teachers to become immersed in an organization for a short period during the summer to see first-hand how diverse and far-reaching the skills they teach in their classroom related to the real world.

2021 STRIVE: Chad Nall with Central AR Water

This is Chad Nall’s experience with the STRIVE program. While many programs work with the students themselves, STRIVE focuses on working with Arkansas STEM teachers, providing opportunities for teachers to become immersed in an organization for a short period during the summer to see first-hand how diverse and far-reaching the skills they teach in their classroom related to the real world.

2021 STRIVE: Whitney Major with Triumph Group

This is Whitney Major’s experience with the STRIVE program. While many programs work with the students themselves, STRIVE focuses on working with Arkansas STEM teachers, providing opportunities for teachers to become immersed in an organization for a short period during the summer to see first-hand how diverse and far-reaching the skills they teach in their classroom related to the real world.

2021 STRIVE: Riley Rogers with Post

This is Riley Rogers’ experience with the STRIVE program. While many programs work with the students themselves, STRIVE focuses on working with Arkansas STEM teachers, providing opportunities for teachers to become immersed in an organization for a short period during the summer to see first-hand how diverse and far-reaching the skills they teach in their classroom related to the real world.

2021 STRIVE: Melva Brannon with USFS

This is Melva Brannon’s experience with the STRIVE program. While many programs work with the students themselves, STRIVE focuses on working with Arkansas STEM teachers, providing opportunities for teachers to become immersed in an organization for a short period during the summer to see first-hand how diverse and far-reaching the skills they teach in their classroom related to the real world.

2021 STRIVE: Nancy Ubias with Lanxess

This is Nancy Ubias’ experience with the STRIVE program. While many programs work with the students themselves, STRIVE focuses on working with Arkansas STEM teachers, providing opportunities for teachers to become immersed in an organization for a short period during the summer to see first-hand how diverse and far-reaching the skills they teach in their classroom related to the real world.

2021 STRIVE: Zach Steele with Post

This is Zach Steele’s experience with the STRIVE program. While many programs work with the students themselves, STRIVE focuses on working with Arkansas STEM teachers, providing opportunities for teachers to become immersed in an organization for a short period during the summer to see first-hand how diverse and far-reaching the skills they teach in their classroom related to the real world.

2021 STRIVE: Carla Wilkins with Central AR Water

This is Carla Wilkins’ experience with the STRIVE program. While many programs work with the students themselves, STRIVE focuses on working with Arkansas STEM teachers, providing opportunities for teachers to become immersed in an organization for a short period during the summer to see first-hand how diverse and far-reaching the skills they teach in their classroom related to the real world.

Additional Examples:

Example 1: Manufacturing Plant

A 10th grade math teacher is placed at a manufacturing plant, working with the finance administrator. Their focus is to keep up with budgetary spending of the entire plant, including employee salaries, expenditures, maintenance budgets, etc. During the 4 week placement at the plant, the teacher learns about how problem solving skills taught in their class apply to jobs across the company by spending days with 1) a plumber, who uses fractions, proportions, geometry, measurement, and other hands-on math skills to complete their daily tasks, 2) a marketing and design lead, who uses graphical software to design marketing materials, 3) a worker on the assembly line that is responsible for packing quality control.

Example 2: Central Arkansas Water

A high school biology teacher works with a biologist at Central Arkansas Water on a project that is trying to assess the impact of various land uses in the Lake Maumelle watershed. During the 4 week placement at CAW, the teacher learns about how problem solving skills taught in their class apply to jobs across the company by spending time with 1) a computer systems engineer to learn about processing information from the entire water grid, 2) a natural resource specialist, that samples water throughout the intake area and at various points within the distribution system, 3) a maintenance technician that is responsible for keeping the pumps running at maximum efficiency, minimizing energy waste through excess friction, and 4) an engineer that must consider how fluid dynamics influence the expansion of the water system when new developments are being built.

Example 3: Post Company

A 7th grade earth science teacher is placed with a food scientist at Post (cereal) Company to analyze viscosity and its role in wheat cooking. During the 4 week placement at Post, the teacher learns about how problem solving skills taught in their class apply to jobs across the company by spending time with 1) a quality specialist, who must ensure that all steps in the production of food are carefully monitored, documented, and analyzed to meet internal and external standards, 2) an engineer to study the electrical usage and increase the efficiency of air compressors and LED lighting, 3) an electrician that performs maintenance on electrical systems throughout the plant, following appropriate safety and electrical standards to maximize the operational efficiency of the plant, and 4) the logistics manager that ensures all processes on site have adequate supplies needed to maximize plant output.

Example 4: Airplane Production

A chemistry teacher is placed at an airplane production facility, charged with a “back burner” project that they haven’t had the manpower for yet. The company has heard of two new techniques used to soften and prepare leather for use in furniture, and they want to test in house if these techniques produce a higher quality, longer lasting product than the process they currently use. During the 4 week placement, the teacher learns about how problem solving skills operations taught in their class apply to jobs across the company by spending time with 1) a cabinet maker, who uses proportions and fractions in most of their calculations, and needs to understand the reactivity of various solvents and paints/lacquers, 2) a welder that fabricates custom parts for the company using basic principles of physics and chemistry, and 3) the chief salesperson who connects the company’s top level products to customers that drive the business.