Opportunities for Environmental Science and Engineering Outreach through K–12 Mathematics Programs

Abstract

Programs to improve mathematics education provide an opportunity to educate K–12 students about environmental science and engineering. Many professional organizations as well as the National Science Foundation have developed activities for middle school and high school teachers that can be utilized by higher education faculty when participating in such programs. A hands-on workshop, provided a discussion of environmental and civil engineering as a career for young women whom participated in a girls mathematics day called "Y2M, Yes to Mathematics" hosted at a local community college. Another project involving 10 school districts on Long Island, provided the opportunity to incorporate environmental science and engineering outreach to middle school students. The project goal is to increase the time students spend on mathematics in mathematics, science, and technology classes using suitable pedagogy and curricula. The first year of the 5-year program involved organizing and training of district teams, then developing a district plan for increasing the math content across the curriculum. The second year involved training of additional middle school teachers and piloting exemplary materials. The second year of this program has been completed and progress towards meeting the expected goals and benchmarks such as improved performance on the NY state Mathematics assessment and increased use of mathematics in the science classroom has occurred. Incorporation of mathematics into the science curricula can occur through environmental science or engineering activities. The program should, in turn, significantly improve the students' understanding of mathematics and increase their interest in environmental science and engineering.