#BigBeacon Twitter Chat – March 25 – Top Opportunities to Highlight Students in STEM

Though there is great demand for talent to fill the vast and varied job opportunities in STEM fields, a staggering 75 percent of students talented in math and science decide not to pursue STEM in college, according to one study.

While there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to this education and workforce development challenge, one helpful way to support students’ STEM interests is through recognition opportunities such as student project showcases, scholarships, and academic competitions.

Recognition of students’ innovations, perseverance, and academic successes reinforces and rewards the importance of students’ work, while underscoring the possibilities available to them through STEM.

Just as important as the recognition itself, however, is the student journey leading up to recognition. As students design and improve upon projects for competitions, complete scholarship essays and applications, and prepare to showcase their work, they gain confidence and valuable skills – critical and creative thinking, leadership, teamwork – which are integral for success in both the classroom and in the workforce.

On March 25 at 8 p.m. ET, please join Project Lead The Way (PLTW) and the PLTW Alumni Association on Twitter for a conversation on Student Recognition Opportunities. Areas of conversation will include:

• What does “student recognition” mean, and why are these opportunities significant?
• What opportunities exist – through competitions, student groups, online tools, etc. – for students to showcase and earn recognition for their work in STEM?
• How can schools and classroom teachers recognize student accomplishments?
• What are some examples of oft-overlooked student recognition opportunities? How can we make students aware of them?

Join in by following and utilizing the hashtag #PLTWBB.

About Project Lead The Way

Project Lead The Way (PLTW) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and the nation’s leading provider of K-12 STEM programs. PLTW’s world-class, activity-, project- , problem-based curriculum and high-quality teacher professional development, combined with an engaged network of educators and corporate partners, help students develop the skills needed to succeed in our global economy. More than 6,500 elementary, middle, and high schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia are currently offering PLTW courses to their students. For more information, visit www.pltw.org.

How to Twitter Chat

If you have never Twitter chatted before, don’t worry; it’s very easy. First, get a Twitter account if you don’t already have one, and log in. At 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 25, 2015, go to twitter.com and type #PLTWBB into the search box on Twitter. Thereafter, all the tweets with the hashtag #PLTWBB will show up on your Twitter page. To participate, simply express your opinion by sending a tweet, and be sure to append the hashtag #PLTWBB so other members of the Twitter Chat see you are posting.