FIU hosts country’s leading secondary schools for STEM summit

FIU is at the helm of groundbreaking STEM education research, practices and programs that help students become leaders in the field.

To support STEM education and foster the sharing of best practices across K-12 schools, FIU recently hosted the National Consortium of Secondary STEM Schools’ (NCSS) leadership summit. The summit brought together more than 60 representatives from the nation’s most prestigious high schools and STEM organizations for several days of innovation, brainstorming, networking and leadership development.

“It was a distinct privilege for FIU to host the National Consortium of Secondary STEM Schools for its annual leadership summit,” said Provost, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Elizabeth M. Béjar. “At FIU, we are unwavering in our commitment to academic excellence and to advancing STEM education at every level of the pipeline. Our STEM Transformation Institute stands at the forefront of innovative research, teacher preparation and systemic reform, shaping the future of STEM learning nationally and globally. Through deep partnerships with industry, government and community leaders, we ensure that our students engage in meaningful, real-world experiences that prepare them to lead in a rapidly evolving world. We are proud to partner with NCSS in strengthening the national ecosystem for STEM innovation and cultivating the next generation of scientific and technological leaders.” 

During the summit, attendees learned about FIU’s prowess in STEM education — with the goal of taking lessons learned from the university and finding possible ways to apply these lessons to the STEM education programs at their schools and organizations.

Attendees visited the Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences; toured some of campus’ active learning classrooms (classes equipped with the latest technology to allow students to collaborate and solve hands-on problems together); and the labs of leading FIU researchers Diana Azzam, who uncovers treatment options for hard-to-treat cancers, and Tomás R. Guilarte, who works on brain health and is the dean of the Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work.

Innovation in STEM

FIU was selected by NCSS as the host for the summit, which occurs once a year at different locations.

“I selected FIU because when I first encountered the university’s presence in D.C. [FIU in DC], I realized that the university would be phenomenal for our members to know about,” said Todd Mann, executive director of NCSS.

He praised programs such as FIU’s STEM Transformation Institute, which is a multidisciplinary hub that supports more than 12,500 undergraduate STEM majors across FIU and utilizes active learning techniques in classrooms (prioritizing engagement and hands-on activities during class time). 

Participants also attended two keynote presentations led by FIU faculty. Aaron Kuntz, dean and professor at the School of Education and Human Development discussed how educators can adapt to rapid shifts in education and technology, and how they can connect STEM knowledge with relevance, authenticity and human application to increase student engagement.

Nathan Hiller, director of the Center for Leadership, discussed ways that educators — many of them principals and high-level administrators at their respective schools or organizations — can apply trusted leadership practices to lead their teams to greater professional fulfillment and success.

“Nathan Hiller’s ability to help us think through real leadership challenges was very deep. His expertise is what we were craving with this summit,” said Lisette Morris, chair of the NCSS board and executive director of the Ingenuity Project, an organization that trains teens to become STEM leaders.

Partnerships that ignite impact

Attendees enjoyed learning about FIU’s STEM programs and partners — and were glad to take some of those ideas with them back to their schools.  

“FIU is innovative,” said Comfort Akwaji-Anderson, the secretary of NCSS and a school district leader in Illinois. She is a former principal and current director of talent and professional development and the administrator coach and strategic lead for Peoria Public Schools. “Every letter of STEM is represented in what the university is doing. We’re also learning about the power of partnerships.”

Akwaji-Anderson was among attendees who toured the cutting-edge technology program at Coral Park Senior High, one of FIU’s local secondary school partners. During the tour, participants met students at the school and learned about their robotics and technology projects. They also met three of the school’s alumni, all current FIU students that regularly return to Coral Park to mentor current STEM students at the school.

Neda Boyce, senior vice president of NCSS and the director of innovation and partnerships for Arizona Leads, an education-focused organization, said that FIU was the perfect place for the summit. “Our mission at NCSS is expanding STEM opportunities for students. FIU is very aligned with that. The way FIU innovates and the way FIU teaches STEM teachers so they will teach students in a way that is engaging and fosters appreciation for STEM…that’s what we want our teachers to do.”

“FIU is a leader in STEM education, and our engagement with other national leaders like NCSS allows us to make a positive impact at an increasingly larger scale,” said Anthony Rionda, associate vice provost and co-director of the CCIPP. “I want to thank our CCIPP team and all those who worked with NCSS to bring the summit to FIU. Hosting this summit reflects our commitment to upholding our Carnegie designations in community engagement and leadership for public purpose. We are leveraging our networks, strategic partnerships and research to uplift our community and our nation.”