- Education Initiatives announced by Obama at White House Science Fair
- Posted By:
- Kathy H
- Posted On:
- 11-Feb-2012
-
The public rooms in the White House are converted into a science fair for a second time. President Obama announced new education initiatives to promote STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education. He explored the science projects displayed in the Grand Foyer, blue and red rooms. He also asked explanations for each project from award winning students. He said that this science project recalled his own experience as a science student.
White House synopsis says that President will ask the Congress to allot $80 million to the Education department in his annual federal budget request. More than $20 million will be given by corporations and foundations run by Carnegie Corporation. This amount will be dedicated to support programs to prepare teachers in Math, Engineering, Science and Technology.
The programs that allow students to earn a degree in their subject and a teaching certificate at the same time will also be covered under this. Obama announced that Google is one of the organizations committing fresh funds to support math and science initiatives.
The Administration had set a goal of one million more graduates and 100,000 more math and science teachers over the next ten years. Obama expressed his belief that this goal can be achieved. A report released by the presidential advisory council states that one million more graduates are required to fill the job vacancies, like math and science teachers in the next decade.
The reports also says that less than 40% of students taking math and science as major in college complete their higher education to earn a degree. It is important to raise that percentage to 50, so that we can fill three fourth of the hobs requiring math and science skills.
The White House stated that more than $100 million would be invested by the National Science Foundation to boost undergraduate instruction practices in all the colleges, including minority institutions and community colleges. The National Science Foundation and the Education Department will allot $30 million toward math education incentives in elementary and high schools.
President announced a “change the equation” initiative to solicit corporate executives to get involved in education programs. The White House stated more than 100 executives were investing and taking part in numerous programs all over the nation and more than half of them focus low income communities.
Nearly 40,000 students were supported under this program. The White house emphasized the initiative of Time Warner Cable, which dedicated more than $100 million and the initiative of the entertainer Will.i.am to encourage young students to invent things that can practically usable in their lives.
The Science Fair had more winners of numerous competitions nationally than the first White House science fair in 2010. Obama said that a new focus on math and science education is crucial for the long term success of the nation. He added that ours is a nation of thinkers and dreamers. Obama said to the reporters to give more attention to the young students who participated in this science fair, as their skills would make a big difference over the life of the country.