2024
UWA BBSEI Robotics Competition — January 19th, 2024
This took place in the Hughes Gymnasium and hosted many robotics teams from the Alabama Black Belt Region. For many of the participants, it was their first competition, but some experienced teams competed as well. This was the first robotics competition hosted at the University of West Alabama.
STiiX On-Site Professional Development Opportunity — February 2nd, 2024
At this hands-on training, teachers received a free STEM kit, had meaningful discussions about the current status of STEM Education, became students for two hours, and learned about all the STEM Kits available through STiiX. Following is the number of participants by school and district:
Total Number of STEM Kits Received: 50
Total Number of Teachers Trained: 29
Total Number of Districts Impacted: 13
Robotics Engineering and Programming PD — February 23, 2024
This was an immersive workshop designed specifically for educators wanting to compete in Vex Robotics. This workshop empowered teams to bring cutting-edge STEM education to classrooms. This hands-on training covered the fundamentals of robotics education, focusing on practical skills, and collaborative strategies to engage and inspire students in STEM learning. Key Focus Areas included Engineering Notebook Mastery, Engineering Problem Solving, Introduction to Programming VEX Robots, and Student/Teacher Build Sessions. Teachers received 7 hours of TEAMS Credit for participating in this professional development session. Participants included: 2 teams from Lowndes County, a total of 14 students from two schools. 2 teams from Marengo County, a total of 6 students from two schools. 4 teams from Washington County, a total of 10 students from one school. 3 teams from Sumter County, a total of 20 students from two schools. 1 team from University Charter school, represented by one coach. 1 team from Aliceville Elementary School, represented by one coach. 1 team from Hale County Middle School, represented by one coach. Total Participants: 14 teachers/coaches and 50 students from 10 schools in 7 districts.
Girls Engaged in Math and Science — March 5, 2024
The Black Belt STEM Education Institute worked with GEMS, Girls Engaged in Math and Science, to secure the first ever West Alabama location for the 16th Annual GEMS Expo. Girls Engaged in Math and Science (GEMS) is an educational program designed to actively involve girls in STEM-related activities through formal and informal learning environments. The GEMS Program supports the national need to close the STEM gender gap utilizing eight teaching strategies to encourage self-confidence and elevate interest in the areas of math and science with female students. At this particular event, seventeen (17) 7th and 8th grade girls and nineteen (19) 3rd through 6th grade girls participated. The morning consisted of Keynote Speakers in the area of women in STEM. This panel included Dr. Kelsey Bickett from QuantHub, Dr. Nancy Brooker from the UWA-BBSEI, Dr. Amy Pigott, a pharmacist from Meridian, MS, Kristen McKenney, a Registered Nurse from Meridian, MS, Laurel Esposito with Energy Alabama, and La’Tanya Scott with the Cahaba River Society. Following, the students presented their projects and completed hands-on activities organized by the UWA College of Education Pre-service students and Dr. Robert Mayben from Alabama Science in Motion. The 7th and 8th grade girls completed a HammerBuild, where they learned teamwork, measurement skills, critical thinking, math, and problem-solving skills. The schools represented were as follows: York West End Junior High School, Huntington Place Elementary School, Wetumpka Middle School, and Robert Brown Middle School.