The free engineering and design software offered to Minnesota teachers and students through a partnership announced last month will now come with training costs covered by grant money.

Governor Pawlenty also announced today that the state will host a first-ever STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Summit and Job Fair on Saturday, September 30 to increase student interest in math and science and connect students with companies offering careers that require knowledge in those field.

A third announcement made by the Governor is the availability of $1 million in grants for schools that expand or establish Advanced Placement programs that provide increased rigor.

“Today’s news that our students scored number one on the ACT is fantastic,” Governor Pawlenty said. “But we can’t and won’t rest on past success. These three announcements will keep us moving on a path toward more rigor and relevancy in our schools. We know that science and math will be the economic currency of the future and we need to start working now to get our kids ready.”

Software Training Costs Covered

Governor Pawlenty announced today that $50,000 from a National Governors Association grant will be used to cover the cost for teachers to be trained on the Pro/ENGINEER Schools Edition software now available free of charge to any trained Minnesota middle school or high school teacher in public or private schools.

In July, Governor Pawlenty announced a partnership between the State of Minnesota and PTC, a Massachusetts-based global software company, to make available millions of dollars in computer-aided design (CAD) software to the 2,834 science teachers and 437 technology teachers in the state. Training teachers to use the software costs up to $1,500 for a class of 15 teachers.

“We need to encourage and motivate students to engage in math and science in order to compete in the global marketplace,” Governor Pawlenty said. “Our partnership with PTC puts sophisticated software into the hands of teachers and students at no cost. Now, interested teachers and school districts won't have to worry about picking up the tab for training.”

The $50,000 will come from a $2 million National Governors Association grant that Minnesota received as one of ten states that are leading efforts in high school reform and redesign.

The NGA grant has been used to develop initiatives including competitive grants of $400,000 awarded to 20 high schools for developing state models in STEM areas.

STEM Summit

The Governor also announced that the Department of Education and partners will host a STEM Summit on Saturday, September 30, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul. Interested students, parents or teachers should contact the Minnesota Department of Education for information about the event and how to receive free admission that includes a ticket to the Science Museum for the day. Additional details and a sign-up form are online at www.education.state.mn.us.

“The business community has asked how they can help prepare our students for the future. Participating in our STEM Summit is a great opportunity for them,” Governor Pawlenty said. “The STEM Summit will bring together Minnesota companies and hundreds of high school students. We need to provide the opportunity for students across Minnesota to make direct connections with employers to show what it means to be an engineer or have a technical job.”

STEM education is key to building a strong Minnesota. Economic forecasts project a 20-33% increase in scientific and technical occupations in Minnesota in ten years and new job growth in professional and high tech industries will demand an extra 10,500 college graduates per year. For students, completing Algebra II in high school more than doubles their chances of earning a four-year college degree. Governor Pawlenty proposed and signed legislation this year that requires Algebra I by eighth grade and Algebra II and Physics or Chemistry to graduate from high school.

AP Grants now available

Governor Pawlenty announced that grants are now available for schools that are interested in starting or expanding Advanced Placement (AP) courses and programs. The Governor proposed and signed legislation this year that appropriated $1 million to increase access to more rigorous coursework. The legislation establishes a program to raise academic achievement for students in grades 6 and above through increased student participation in pre-Advanced Placement and Advanced Placement programs.

School districts or charter schools must apply for the competitive grants through the Department of Education. School sites will receive up to $85 per pupil and applicants must provide specific efforts to further raise student academic achievement by:

• Increasing the availability of and all students' access to Advanced Placement;
• Expanding the breadth of Advanced Placement courses or programs that are available to students;
• Increasing the number and the diversity of the students who participate in Advanced Placement courses or programs and succeed;
• Providing low-income and other disadvantaged students with increased access to Advanced Placement courses and programs; or
• Increasing the number of high school students, including low-income and other disadvantaged students, who receive college credit by successfully completing Advanced Placement courses or programs and achieving satisfactory scores on related exams.

“Rigorous coursework, like that offered in Advanced Placement programs, is absolutely imperative to a student's success,” Governor Pawlenty said. “If we set expectations high, kids will meet them and perform at higher levels.”