NSU Partners with Virginia Beach Schools

NSU Partners with Virginia Beach Schools
By Regina Lightfoot, Office of Communications and Marketing
orfolk State University and
Virginia Beach City Public
Schools are working on an initiative
that will give high school students
college credit and set them on a path
to continue their education beyond
high school. The program would
give students an introduction to the
Science, Engineering, Technology and
Mathematics (STEM) field. The School
of Extended Learning and College of
Science, Engineering and Technology
are part of the partnership.
“This is a golden opportunity for
Norfolk State University and we are
looking forward to exploring additional
STEM partnerships with Dr. Konopnicki,”
said Arletha McSwain, interim dean of
the School of Extended Learning.
Konopnicki is director of the Office of
Technical and Career Education.
While details are still being worked
out, students could be taking the
STEM class as early as January.
Virginia Beach schools officials obtained
$100,000 in funding from Opportunity,
Inc. for the program. The grant will set
up a STEM 101 course and provide
100 high school juniors and seniors
with three credit hours. Virginia Beach
students will enroll in the NSU course
at the Virginia Beach Higher Education
have worked with NSU before this
initiative, Konopnicki is confident that
the partnership will be successful. The
course is open to students who qualify
based upon grant participant eligibility
requirements.
N
Photo by Keith Cephus
The initiative between NSU and the Virginia Beach
schools will introduce high school students to
the field of science, technology, engineering and
mathematics.
Center. “We are most excited about
the STEM 101 course,” said Patrick
Konopnicki, “because heretofore, we
couldn’t find any college or university
in the country that offered a STEM
101, three-credit college course.”
Larry Mattix, acting dean of the
College of Science, Engineering and
Technology, said the course will contain in-class, online, and laboratory
components. “The course will be
taught by our best and most engaging
professors, who are active in research
and dedicated to STEM education,”
he said.
Because Virginia Beach schools
STEM-ULATING MINDS
“We hope this will be a catalyst for
students to find within themselves the
potential to pursue postsecondary
opportunities in STEM,” Konopnicki
said. Mattix agrees. “Students
exposed to the wonders of science
and engineering are usually hooked
on it,” he said. “The more the high
school students know about the
opportunities available in STEM, the
more likely will be their selection of a
career in STEM.” And the hope is that
students enrolled in the course will
choose Norfolk State when it comes
to their college selection, but promoting
postsecondary education is the
main goal.
Planning for the course began in
August; however, it aligns with one of
NSU President Tony Atwater’s priorities that promote reaching elementary,
middle grade and high school students
and exposing them to the possibilities
of going to college.