Funded Grants

CESTEM and its partners have been awarded 10 grant proposals. The total funding of these awarded grants equals $2,728,632.70.

BRIDGES - North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, Mathematics and Science Partnerships (MSP) Program

Partner: Onslow County Schools
Summary: Bridges connects problem-based learning with all of the math initiatives that we have been a part of over the past ten years including NC-PIMS, PARTNERS, local professional development, and ENVISIONS. Through these ventures our teachers have examined their teaching and grown professionally.
Fiscal Years: 2009-2012

Math Achievement Success Today (MAST) - North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, Mathematics and Science Partnerships (MSP) Program

Partner: Brunswick County Schools
Summary: Math Achievement Success Today or MAST is a high-school focused program proposed by Brunswick County Schools (BCS) to address targeted gaps or weaknesses in secondary-level mathematics (9-12) and specifically Algebra I, Algebra II, and Geometry. MAST recognizes four major goals and sets forth a specific plan of action to address each one. These goals are the following: 1) to increase teacher content knowledge in math; 2) to raise student math achievement; 3) to improve overall classroom instruction; and 4) to develop a sustainable partnership with the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW).
Fiscal Years: 2009-2012

Project Based Math (PBM): MSP Grant Proposal – North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, Mathematics and Science Partnerships (MSP) Program
Partners: Onslow County Schools
Summary: The Onslow County school system has responded to the call for 21st Century skills through an increased emphasis on integrated STEM instruction in K-8 classrooms and the implementation of themed schools which focus on STEM implementation developed by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s STEM Education Schools and Programs was used to evaluate the STEM attributes that describe a quality STEM education in our schools and classroom instruction. It has been determined that many of our teachers lack the professional development necessary to integrate math and science through the use of Project Based Learning.
Fiscal Year: 2012-2015
Submitted, Approved, and Funded
Total Budget – $873,924.00

Math Achievement Common Core (MACC) – North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, Mathematics and Science Partnerships (MSP) Program
Partners: Brunswick County Schools
Summary: Math Achievement Common Core or MACC will primarily be a high-school focused program proposed by Brunswick County Schools (BCS) to address targeted gaps or weaknesses in secondary-level mathematics (8-12). MACC will recognize the following four major goals and set forth a specific plan of action to address each one: 1) to increase teacher content knowledge in math; 2) to raise student math achievement; 3) to improve classroom instruction ; and 4) to develop a sustainable partnership with the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW).
Fiscal Year: 2012-2015
Submitted, Approved, and Funded
Total Budget: $280,000.00

Integrating Computing and Mathematics Education (INCOME) – North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI), North Carolina Quality Educators through Staff Development and Training (NCQUEST)
Partners: UNCW C&S, Onslow County
Summary: This project aims to assist middle grade mathematics teachers and teacher mentors to become highly knowledgeable and pedagogically skilled in integrating computing with mathematics in their teaching by developing simulations and models that illustrate key concepts in arithmetic, algebra, geometry, statistics and mathematical reasoning.
Fiscal Year: 2012-2013
Total Budget: $199,898

Introductory Biotechnology Workshop for High School Teachers – Summer Biotechnology for Educators, North Carolina Biotechnology Center
Partner: College of Arts and Sciences, University of North Carolina Wilmington
Summary: This five day introductory workshop will instruct high school teachers in scientific content and engage them in laboratory exercises and classroom activities to implement biotechnology curriculum with their students.
Fiscal Year: 2012
Funded and Complete Summer, 2012
Total Budget: $24,998.00

Technology Loan Program (TLP) - 30^th Anniversary Grant, Vernier Software and Technology
Partner: None
Summary: Despite its broad outreach, area teachers typically lack the funds and training needed to use specialized scientific equipment as part of their program. The Vernier grant, however, will help change this by providing the center with the equipment needed for ongoing teacher professional development, technology programs for K-12 students and a Technology Loan Program for K-16 educators.
Fiscal Year: 2012
Funded and Complete Spring, 2012
Total Budget: $10,000.00

Using Formal Classroom Activities in Weather to Support Informal Field Trip Experiences to a Museum - Burroughs Wellcome Fund, Prism Award Program
Partners: New Hanover County Schools and the Wilmington’s Children Museum
Summary: The purpose of this project is to construct field trip resources and activities for use by classroom teachers as they plan and prepare students for field trips. Teachers will be able to use the resources and activities to implement pre- and post-field trip activities to connect the field trip experience with their ongoing curriculum and instruction in the classroom. The activities will be designed to integrate the North Carolina Essential Standards in Science with the authentic and motivating weather exhibits at the Wilmington Children’s Museum.
Fiscal Year: 2012-2013
Funded and Ongoing, 2012
Total Budget: $3,946.00

Essential Knowledge and Materials to Master the Essential Standards - Burroughs-Wellcome Fund, Prism Award Program
Partner: Pender County Schools
Summary: We are planning several activities around most of the major science concepts addressed in the essential standards in each of the grade levels. During the PD we will perform all the activities and have a chance to ask questions and confirm the scientific understanding of each of the activities before doing the activities with our students. The format we have developed jointly with CESTEM contains discrepant events, Vernier Technology labs, teacher demonstrations, hands on activities, lab activities and several web links for most of the essential standards, this is done in an effort to ensure students see the concept in multiple formats and to ensure different learning styles are addressed.
Fiscal Year: 2012-2013
Funded and Ongoing, 2012
Total Budget: $3,421.00

Using Innovative Technology Platforms to Support Experiential Pedagogical Approaches to Science Teacher Education – UNCW’s Center for Teaching Excellence, Summer Pedagogy Development Stipends
Partners: Carolina Beach State Park
Summary: This proposal describes the pedagogy development and improvement for the methodologies utilized within the new course: Island Ecology for Educators. This class is taught by Dr. Dennis Kubasko and Dr. Amy R. Taylor from the Watson School of Education. Funding awarded through the Summer Pedagogy Development Stipends from the Center for Teaching Excellence will continue improvements for an innovative summer course offered to education and environmental studies undergraduate and graduate students.
Fiscal Year: 2012
Funded and Complete, summer 2012
Total Budget: $3,000.00