The Chillicothe City School District (CCSD) has partnered with Ohio University Chillicothe to improve STEM education. This partnership leverages the expertise of Dana Letts, a local graduate and the district’s STEM director. The collaboration, termed VOICE (Variety of Individualized Choices in Education), offers personalized STEM learning experiences for students from kindergarten to high school, helping them to choose and explore STEM topics deeply once a year.
Each spring, Dana Letts visits Ohio University Chillicothe to engage with students studying elementary and middle childhood science methods. She explains the practical aspects of implementing STEM education, including activity planning and grant writing. This interaction is followed by hands-on teaching experiences for the university students at Chillicothe Primary School.
The program not only enhances the STEM curriculum for primary students but also provides invaluable teaching experience for future educators. University students, like Hailee Crowe and Kayla Osborne, have praised the initiative for allowing them to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world settings, boosting their skills in fostering creativity and higher-level thinking among elementary students.
The partnership benefits all parties involved, enriching STEM education for school children while preparing college students for future teaching careers, thereby serving as a model for similar collaborations nationwide.