Nomination for the Most Innovative Use of Technology Award

The Internet Community Action Network (I-CAN), Inc., an NCTA member, serves as a partner for the North Carolina Mathematics and Science Education Network Pre-College Program (NC-MSEN PCP)¹ and its National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded project, Robotics: Opportunities for Building Outstanding Talent in the Sciences (R.O.B.O.T.S.).  The partnership focuses on the following goals:

1. Improve underserved/underrepresented middle school students’ attitudes and understanding of science and mathematics (i.e., physics, astronomy, and robotics)
2. Deliver high-quality out-of-school time teacher professional development
3. Forge partnerships that provide for effective, intensive out-of-school time interventions
4. Implement activities that support underserved/underrepresented students so they remain engaged in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

¹The NC-MSEN Pre-College Program, was established in 1986 by the NC General Assembly, has as its mission to increase the number of underserved students graduating from high school with sufficient preparation to pursue college majors and subsequent careers in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and teaching. The Program is located on nine UNC System campuses and serves students in grades 6 through 12 through a year-round, multi-year Saturday and summer academic enrichment program and related activities.

The relationship between I-CAN and the NC-MSEN Pre-College Program has helped build the prototype for a replicable integrated model that makes us of the NC-MSEN PCP infrastructure with widely dispersed sites to deliver enhanced STEM pre-college programming to locations with limited resources. This cutting-edge technology permits out-of-school time teachers and students in geographically remote areas to have access to STEM professionals and mentors in disciplines such as physics and astronomy.  This technology-based model also allows out-of-school time experiences to become integrated into regular classrooms, regardless the location – urban, suburban, or rural.

Without leaving their local PCP sites, I-CAN has innovatively allowed 210 and 36 underserved middle school students and teachers, respectively, to be part of a project-wide virtual learning community, as well as part of their PCP site’s learning community.  They also are engaged in study, discussion, and inquiry with variously located STEM professionals, all of whom are focused on a significant aspect of physics, astronomy, and/or robotics without leaving their local PCP sites. The I-CAN system is highly interactive, allowing participants to speak with STEM mentors and professionals (including university faculty) using “Voice Over the Internet” and application-sharing technologies, as well as messaging and discussion boards.  This merger of local and distant communities allows the building of broad social networks that can connect and share educational resources locally, nationally, or internationally, thereby impacting an incredibly large audience of students and teachers.

The I-CAN system has permitted teachers to have 24-hour on-line access to other teachers and the professional development providers, as well as the astronomy, physics, and robotics curriculum developed and delivered by the project’s STEM faculty and professionals. The

I-CAN model also allows parental engagement and further education about what children need to know and be able to do in order to prepare for STEM pathways, including advanced-level, more rigorous and challenging mathematics and science high school courses; university majors; and careers.

The I-CAN professional leaders’ expertise, experience, and innovation have resulted in a centralized repository and portal, by which the NC-MSEN PCP/R.O.B.O.T.S. students, teachers, and staff have access to an extensive set of on-line resources. These include 24-hour access to STEM professionals and electronic mentors (e-mentors); over 100 technology-related courses and other content-specific information; professional development offerings; Webinars; information on career opportunities; student competitions; and virtual sessions.

Based on the participant’s profile, the electronic mentors (e-mentors) are automatically assigned to participants as they register in the I-CAN system. Of special importance is the match with the STEM professionals and e-mentors.  E-mentors are automatically assigned to participants as they register in the I-CAN system.  NC-MSEN PCP/R.O.B.O.T.S. students are matched, by interest, with experts from various industries and occupations. They become engaged in one-on-one discussions that focused on:

• a broad range of STEM interests, especially astronomy, physics and robotics
• initial career goals and STEM careers as viable options for future opportunities
• benefits and challenges of specific career choices
• academic and career guidance for making good choices in preparation for the future STEM workforce, especially as it pertains to students from underserved populations

In order to manage the participant focus, I-CAN assesses participant knowledge, as required, and then selectively filters and sends information to the participant, based on the profile.  In order to manage community expectations, I-CAN tracks individual and group participant progress and success for a measurable understanding of the value contributed to the NC-MSEN Pre-College Program community.

The partnership between NC-MSEN PCP and I-CAN has promoted the building of a genuinely productive relationship between business and industry and schools in order to bring out-of-school time science and mathematics experiences into the classroom.  This increases the opportunity for other teachers and students to be exposed to cutting-edge technology, which leads to a greater understanding and appreciation for physics and related subjects that continue to have declining high school enrollments.

I-CAN has provided, gratis, services for the North Carolina Mathematics and Science Education Network Pre-College Program (NC-MSEN PCP) and its National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded Robotics: Opportunities for Building Outstanding Talent in the Sciences (R.O.B.O.T.S.) Project, which was awarded October 2006.  Since spring 2007, I-CAN services have enhanced students’ and teachers’ experiences through in-depth exposure to content-specific subject matter (astronomy, physics, and robotics) via a specially-designed online technology platform.  This platform provides ready access to global scientific information and has features that allow students and their teachers (individual and groups) to interact with local, national, and internationally renowned STEM professionals from their homes or classrooms.