Business helps foster math, science interest; Iowa: Linn-Mar Community School District.The K-12 Business Education Partnership Program in the Linn-Mar Community School District in Marion, Iowa Marion is a city in Linn County, Iowa, United States. The population was 26,294 at the 2000 census. The city is part of the Cedar Rapids metro area. Geography Marion is located at (42.037649, -91. , is helping students to understand the importance of math and science as part of their education. The program was spearheaded by Rockwell Collins Rockwell Collins, Inc. (NYSE: COL) is a large United States-based international company headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, primarily providing aviation and information technology systems, solutions, and services to governmental agencies and aircraft manufacturers. , a world-class world-class adj. 1. Ranking among the foremost in the world; of an international standard of excellence; of the highest order: a world-class figure skater. 2. provider of aviation electronic and communications solutions, and resulted in the Linn-Mar Community School District being named the 2006 Iowa state winner in the National Civic Star Award competition. The idea for the program grew out of the 1983 report "A Nation at Risk," released by the National Commission for Excellence in Education. Employees at Rockwell Collins, headquartered in Cedar Rapids Cedar Rapids, city (1990 pop. 108,751), seat of Linn co., E central Iowa, on the Cedar River; inc. as a city 1856. The second largest city in Iowa, it is named for the surging rapids in the river. , responded by determining to start a K-12 program emphasizing math, science and technology. The program was officially launched in 1990 as a community outreach Outreach is an effort by an organization or group to connect its ideas or practices to the efforts of other organizations, groups, specific audiences or the general public. program to support the education of Cedar Rapids area students. The goals are to: * Support effective teaching of the K-12 curricula, including communication skills, math, science, global awareness, technology, employment skills and creative thinking. * Increase support for the education process and programs. * Promote greater awareness of career options and the education and training needed to pursue those possibilities. The Linn-Mar Community School District and Rockwell Collins work cooperatively to fulfill ful·fill also ful·fil tr.v. ful·filled, ful·fill·ing, ful·fills also ful·fils 1. To bring into actuality; effect: fulfilled their promises. 2. district initiatives. The partnership includes employees conducting one-on-one tutoring with a math emphasis, assisting classroom teachers in computer programming, leading hands-on science programs and providing business education. US FIRST is one component of the comprehensive program, which instills in students, their schools and communities an appreciation of science and technology and how mastering these areas can help enrich society. A Robotics robotics, science and technology of general purpose, programmable machine systems. Contrary to the popular fiction image of robots as ambulatory machines of human appearance capable of performing almost any task, most robotic systems are anchored to fixed positions Competition is conducted for high school students, and a Lego League introduces elementary and middle-school students to science and technology through real-world challenges and hands-on learning. During National Engineers Week in mid-February, the company educates students about the engineering profession, recognizes the accomplishments of engineers and works to inspire students to consider an engineering career. Activities include a regional Future City Competition for middle-school students and an Introduce a GM to Engineering Day. The district and company support a Future Scientist and Engineers of America Club as an after-school program designed to interest, motivate and educate young people in math, science or engineering by working in teams on science projects. In pen pal pen pal n. A person with whom one becomes acquainted through a friendly, regular correspondence. pen pal Noun Informal same as pen friend Noun 1. programs, company volunteers correspond monthly with area fourth graders with whom they've been paired. Mentoring programs also pair company employees with students. A national program called Electrathon involves students in designing, building and racing electric cars. Three schools are involved in this program, and Rockwell Collins employees serve as engineering mentors. Company volunteers for the school-support program number about 1,300. While students are not tracked after graduation Graduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the associated ceremony. The date of event is often called degree day. The event itself is also called commencement, convocation or invocation. , indications are that the interest in math and science has increased as a result of the program. The numbers of students participating in Lego League, Robotics and other extracurricular activities involving math and science continues to grow. Rockwell Collins and the Linn-Mar district plan to continue the partnership and regularly consider how to enrich and assist in the learning process. For more information, contact Superintendent Katie Mulholland at Linn-Mar Community, School District, 3333 N. Tenth St., Marion, Iowa 52302, or call (319) 447-3002. Mulholland's e-mail address See Internet address. e-mail address - electronic mail address is kmulholland@linnmar.k12.ia.us. |
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