Next Steps, powered by Earth Force, is a program committed to getting learning into students' hands. Formerly the Association of Science Materials Centers (ASMC), we are evolving to tackle the hands on learning needs of the growing STEM landscape. We are eager to partner with South Carolina's Coalition for Mathematics & Science at Clemson University to bring a workforce perspective to STEM and STEM learning.
Join the conversation on Twitter! Follow us at @NextSteps4 and connect with other attendees using the #NSI2013 hashtag!
Welcome to our newest partner: the South Carolina Afterschool Alliance!
Together we are exploring ways to engage young people in and out of school. Join us at Next Steps to find out more.
STEMConnector Joins Next Steps as Media Sponsor
Clemson University Center for Workforce Development Partners with Next Steps
DuPont Supports STEM Education and Next Steps
DuPont has generously agreed to support the Next Steps Institute again in 2013. They are a wonderful partner that has contributed to our success for over 14 years. Next Steps, and the educators we support, are grateful for their continued and ongoing sponsorship, mentorship, and friendship.
Thank you for your interest in NEXT STEPS - REGISTRATION IS FULL We will not be taking onsite registration in Charleston. Please look for great future events from our partner organizations!
Our colleagues in South Carolina have been integral to the success of Next Steps since 1999, and in 2013, we are coming back to the community that nurtured and supported Next Steps for many years. It represents a homecoming in many ways, a chance to reconnect with old friends and colleagues, a return to the organization’s roots, and a chance to reflect on the past several years of science and STEM education reform as a means to inform how we move forward. Join us for this homecoming steeped in southern hospitality, community building, and STEM learning.
The time is now for STEM learning and leadership and Next Steps for STEM Schools in Charleston, SC is the place to do it all!
The Next Steps Institute offers two great choices for learners and leaders; our full program where you'll dig deep into content topics along pathways of learning and a one-day, "big picture" and networking option. Either way you will join in a dynamic exploration of the STEM education landscape facilitated by nationally recognized STEM experts.
Overview of One-Day Next Steps Option:
Throughout the one-day session, you will learn and think critically about current issues in STEM. Guided discussions, panel presentations, and small group strategic thinking will lead you to deepen your understanding of STEM, and the system of support necessary to hold S, T, E, and M all together. Thought leaders in education, business/industry, government, and community organizations will offer their perspectives and expertise. At the end of the day, you'll enjoy a special networking reception where we celebrate the winners of *This School’s Got STEM Competition* If you can't stay for it all, you won't want to miss the one-day option!
Overview of the full Institute:
Spending three days together learning, sharing expertise, and cultivating relationships is the best way to experience Next Steps. The Institute is a blend of theory and practice. It incorporates research and best practices into all design elements, and is a dynamic experience. We build in time to develop a learning community, through networking and conversation, which helps tease out the shared expertise of those in the room and provide practical tools you can take back to your STEM classroom and incorporate immediately. While in Charleston, you can expect to:
Share experiences and expertise with STEM education leaders from around the region and across the country
Cultivate strategies for advancing the implementation of instructional improvement
Experience best practices and models from nationally recognized leaders and programs
Strengthen strategic plans to improve STEM learning
Participants register for pathways that provide an immersion in innovations in STEM, learning, teaching, and practice. Salon sessions in between the pathways give participants time to meet one another and deepen knowledge of STEM through short content-focused programs. For more information on the pathways, take a look at the 2013 Program, or click here.
Whether you are new to the STEM field or well-versed, in STEM practices, the Next Steps Institute will advance your skills. Join us!
Lodging and venue
The Embassy Suites North Charleston – Airport/Hotel & Convention center is located just eight miles north of the historic coastal downtown of Charleston with its charming atmosphere and array of restaurants, shopping and historical landmarks to discover.
Sponsorship and support
Next Steps would not be possible without the support of our partners and sponsors. We are grateful for the financial and in kind contributions of the following entities:
We are proud to announce a partnership with the Clemson University Center for Workforce Development. They will be designing and delivering a new pathway at Next Steps this year, we're thrilled to explore STEM from a workforce perspective!
This pathway will explore a new national model that engages universities, technical colleges, P-12 institutions, statewide industry, and federal agencies to deliver workforce development, economic development, and entrepreneurship and innovation tools that have the power to "skill up and scale up" a highly-qualified workforce in STEM fields, specifically Advanced Manufacturing.
Brian Reiser shared a great session with us, challenged our thinking about learning and ways we enage with students. Next Steps this year was a great chance to come together with the education community from across the country to make sense of the Frameworks. Huge thank you to those that joined us, either in person or in spirit. For a copy of his presentation, please click here