Guest Post: Brad Porinchak, Sarasota County Schools

By: Brad Porinchak, Science Curriculum Specialist for Sarasota County Schools

The 2012 STEMposium was a wonderful night to shine a spotlight on the amazing collaborations that are happening between our teachers and our community organizations.

The evening began with Myriam Springuel explaining how the projects were developed and the next steps in moving forward with more explorations among teachers and organizations. The attendees were then whisked off to look at 14 of the current collaborations that were on display.

The explorations were presented on posters highlighting the work that was done by both the teachers and the organization. Everyone was able to see how these collaborations impacted so many students and how the explorations provided the students with resources that the teachers cannot normally access. This was one of the coolest opportunities of the evening! Teachers had the opportunity to explain how this unique collaboration they created with a partner community organization came to life.

Many teachers and organizations that have not yet begun a collaboration were able to get ideas and see just how important working with one another can be for our students. The biggest “AHA” moment of the evening came when everyone broke into groups (a mix of organization members and teachers) and had the opportunity to talk about what they saw on display and how to go to the next step in the collaborative process.

Many discussed how to move forward by expanding an existing collaboration, working on one in progress, or creating a new exploration. These moments were exactly the intent of the STEMposium: to bring community organizations together with teachers to find new and meaningful ways to impact Sarasota County students.

Looking back on the 2012 STEMposium, the mission was accomplished, many new connections were formed and the outlook for the future of these types of collaborations is on the move.

Kudos to all on an absolutely wonderful evening!