North Columbus News

Dozens of Columbus City Schools teachers recently gathered at The Ohio State University for a day-long immersion into geology, paleontology, and earth sciences. This visit was part of the STEAMM Rising Summer Institute, a week-long program aimed at equipping teachers with skills and activities in science, technology, engineering, art, mathematics, and medicine (STEAMM) to bring back to their classrooms.

The teachers were welcomed with a guided tour of the Orton Geological Museum by collections manager and curator Dale Gnidnovec. They studied mineral classification methods and engaged with university faculty who shared their expertise.

Loren Babcock, a professor in the School of Earth Sciences, addressed the group on the complexities of reconstructing ancient animals from bone fragments. "How do we go from isolated pieces like this to reconstruct an ancient animal, especially if you don’t have a modern animal that you can go by?" he asked. "So this gets at the question of using limited evidence to infer answers to larger questions, which is what we do in science every single day."

Christopher Klemm, a Northland High School teacher and three-year facilitator of the summer institute program, emphasized the importance of exposing teachers to various career opportunities within STEAMM fields. “What I’ve always liked about it are the careers that you’re exposed to," he said. "The variety of careers are much larger than you really think they are."

Classroom experiences during the week included visits to the College of Veterinary Medicine, participation in the BioEYES education program using live zebrafish, and tours of both the Center for Design and Manufacturing Excellence and the Student Entrepreneurs’ Center.

Valerie Hunt, a kindergarten teacher at Berwick Alternative Elementary School, highlighted how some concepts could be simplified for younger students. “Or the zebrafish yesterday. [Students could] look at different parts of that experiment and see what happens when you interact with two of them at the same time,” she said.

The summer institute is part of STEAMM Rising—a partnership involving Ohio State University, Columbus City Schools, Columbus State Community College (CSCC), and city officials—aimed at strengthening STEAMM courses and career pathways for students pursuing undergraduate studies in these fields. Ohio State’s Office of Academic Affairs also supports these teaching and learning initiatives.

“Year three was the best yet for the STEAMM Rising Summer Institute,” stated Terri Bucci, program director for STEAMM Rising. “We continue to work with our great partners to develop these incredible experiential learning opportunities.”

Pam Artrip, a curriculum supervisor for Columbus City Schools participating in her second year with the summer program, praised its impact on classroom instruction. “It’s been amazing...to help them build their background knowledge," she said. "In my opinion, it’s so important for our kiddos to have those opportunities to be ready to go into STEAMM fields.”