BELLINGHAM – A five-year grant totaling $12 million awarded today by the National Science Foundation launches the North Cascades and Olympic Science Partnership, with the goal of advancing the teaching and learning of science throughout Northwest Washington.

“The vision of the partnership is to create a positive achievement spiral where improved teaching and learning in both K-12 and higher education results in ever-increasing science competencies for all students and teachers,” said George Nelson, the grant’s principal investigator and director of the Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education program at Western Washington University.

“This is the single largest grant that Western has ever received and its impact on science education will be significant and widespread,” said President Karen W. Morse.

"Master teachers of science in Washington’s elementary, middle and high schools will collaborate with community college and university scientists to explore, create, and implement innovative course content for current and future teachers of science. This work reflects Western’s commitment to meeting state and national needs in science and technology. I am very pleased and proud of this accomplishment," Morse said.

The North Cascades and Olympic Science Partnership consists of 14 school districts in Whatcom and Skagit counties and 12 on the Olympic Peninsula; five higher education institutions – Everett Community College, Northwest Indian College, Skagit Valley College, Whatcom Community College, and WWU; the Northwest and Olympic Educational Service Districts; Washington State LASER (Leadership and Assistance for Science Education Reform), housed at Seattle’s Pacific Science Center; and the Naval Undersea Museum Foundation in Keyport.

"This partnership is a boon for Washington’s students at all education levels and moves us that much closer to meeting our science education goals," said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Terry Bergeson. ?It establishes a national and statewide model for improving teacher preparation and student achievement in science.?

Partnership highlights include:
• Establishing special recruitment programs to increase the number and diversity of highly qualified science teachers and mentoring programs to retain them.
• Teachers in the partner school districts and science faculty in the higher education institutions will collaboratively reform K-12 science programs, community college and university introductory undergraduate science courses, and science methods courses for future teachers.
• Conducting science education research to evaluate and continuously improve the work of the partnership.

"This partnership will build on the experiences of groundbreaking state and national programs," said Dennis Schatz, associate director for education at the Pacific Science Center and co-director Washington State Leadership and Assistance for Science Education Reform (LASER).

WWU’s Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education Program is dedicated to the enrichment and education of future and current teachers. Building on their research expertise, faculty members from various departments work as a multidisciplinary team while exploring how to provide the best training and support for future teachers. More than 500 students each year receive their initial teaching certificates from WWU.

Nelson is the grant’s principal investigator and Carolyn Landel is the project director. Co-principal investigators are Scott Linneman, assistant professor of geology, and Chris Ohana, assistant professor of elementary education.

Other SMATE faculty members involved in the partnership are Alejandro Acevedo-Guitterez, Deborah Donovan, Sue DeBari, Jim Stewart, Steve Gammon and John Whitmer.