ESD 105 Regional Science Education Project

ESD 105 began the process of science education reform in 1997. Washington State LASER grant funding and support became available to the region in July 2001 to further the reform efforts. This work has now become the Regional Science Education Project, which includes the ESD 105 Science Education Cooperative.

The Regional Science Education Project is a unique, hands-on, inquiry-centered science education program for kindergarten to sixth grade students. It has been developed for and implemented in school districts in the South Central Washington region.

Classroom teachers receive at least 54 hours of intense, content-specific professional development over three years. The professional development is purposely designed to deepen their understanding of science and inquiry-centered learning methods. The K-6 curricula has been adopted region-wide and is supported by the National Science Foundation. This professional development also promotes integration of science with reading, writing, and mathematics. Master trainers for each of the 19 science units are being developed to meet future training needs.

The Regional Science Education Project provides 19 Science and Technology for Children (STC) kits for teachers to use in their classrooms (three per grade level except kindergarten). The kits contain all materials a teacher needs to implement in the classroom. Kits are shared via a sequenced rotation schedule three times a year. The kits are refurbished after each rotation.The kits are then ready for the next group of classrooms in the rotation schedule.

The vision of the Regional Science Education Project is to:

Enable 58,000 students in the region to perform at world-class levels in science.

Eliminate academic performance gaps among gender, ethnic, and socio-economic groups.

Prepare students for their adult roles of living, learning, and working in a society increasingly shaped by science and the technology-driven economy of the 21st century.

Join Us — Become a Partner!

We need you to help the students succeed! For us to reach our goals we invite partners to support the Regional Science Education Project now and in the future.

You can support this effort by providing dollars that will allow us to train more teachers, build a network of master science teachers, purchase and refurbish science kids, and keep the project coordinated and cost-effective.

You can also creatively support this effort by:
• donating time to refurbish kits
• providing consumable materials for refurbishment
• providing storage or warehouse space for kits and materials
• or providing a van or large vehicle for kit transportation.

The project has received assistance from a Honda Foundation Grant Award and a Weyerhaeuser Grant Award.

	Mike Brown Science Education Coordinator (509) 454-2852 mikeb@esd105.wednet.edu
	Mark Cheney Science Coordinator (509) 853-2046 mark_cheney@pacsci.org
	Kathy Moritz Administrative Secretary for Science (509) 454-5309 kathym@esd105.wednet.edu
	Terrie Geaudreau Teaching & Learning Director for Math & Science (509) 454-3124 terrieg@esd105.wednet.edu