About Science In Motion
Science In Motion(SIM) began in 1987 following a series of collaborative meetings between Juniata College faculty member Don Mitchell and regional high school science faculty. The National Science Foundation (NSF) and numerous smaller foundations supported the pilot program at Juniata College for ten years. As NSF support came to an end, the Pennsylvania legislature began funding Science In Motion at Juniata in 1997 as a model basic education/higher educational partnership for science education. As legislative and teacher interest grew over the next few years, the number of state-funded basic education/higher education science and technology partnership sites in Pennsylvania expanded to include: Cedar Crest College, Clarion University, Drexel University, Gannon University, Gettysburg College, Juniata College, Susquehanna University, Ursinus College, University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, Westminster College, and Wilkes College. These sites now serve over 200 school districts in Pennsylvania at no cost to the school districts.
Despite the obstacles facing good science and technology education, Science In Motion maintains its effectiveness by adhering to the following precepts:
· Laboratory science equipment is shared in a cost-effective rotation system that serves many school districts, eliminating unnecessary duplication of the same expensive equipment in each school.
· Laboratory activities involving the newest techniques and procedures are delivered directly to the classroom with up-to-date equipment and freshly prepared supplies. An experienced mobile educator certified in the appropriate subject area sets up the entire laboratory and stays to support the teacher and ensure that the technology functions properly. Teacher time is no longer lost to extensive prep work.
· The support system is flexible; teachers are free to choose from a list of Science In Motion experiments and equipment to align laboratory activities with their curricula. .
· Directors of Science In Motion are college science faculty who stay current with advances in technology. They actively engage in research, collaborate with industry, and are experienced at integrating these new concepts into the program.
· Educational equity is ensured because the resources are available to teachers and their students regardless of the wealth of their school district, ensuring the graduation of a well-trained workforce even during times of economic hardship.
Cost efficacy
Eleven Science In Motion sites are currently supported by a $2.0 M appropriation The cost for similar resources and training to be implemented individually by each of the schools impacted by these programs is estimated at $25 M. Thus, the van program provides a 4-fold per subject reduction in costs. Sharing resources makes sense!
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