Maverick Magazine Spring 2025: Creating Community, Empowering Teachers
Creating Community, Empowering Teachers
leads the way in spreading early STEM education.
On a cool evening last fall, fifth graders at Columbus Elementary School in New Rochelle, N.Y., made their first foray into architectural home design. As part of a STEM engineering challenge, the team of 10-year-olds applied creative problem-solving, budgeting and other skills toward the design and construction of tiny house models using household materials.
The activity was developed and facilitated by a cadre of K–8 teachers, with support from the Center for STEM Education (MCSE). At Columbus Elementary and other schools in the region, educators of children in grades K–8 are leading the way to ensure all students have access to rigorous STEM education.
MCSE co-directors Dr. Amanda Gunning and Dr. Meghan Marrero are a driving force behind the proliferation of the center’s flagship programs, which include the STEM Schools Network, the Wipro Science Education Fellowship (SEF), and the family-centered FLORES (Family Learning and Outreach for Research and Education in STEM). Thanks to their steady efforts over the past decade, has emerged as a leader in shaping early STEM education in the region.
In its 10 years as a member of Wipro SEF, MCSE has supported more than 90 science teacher fellows from five local school districts as they completed a science education fellowship. Many of these Fellows have recruited additional educators from their schools and other networks, alerting them to programs, building community and advocating for early STEM education.
“We’re focused on building community and connecting teachers to emerging educational resources,” said Gunning. “And we’re constantly growing. Our goal is to ensure all students, regardless of background, have access to integrated STEM learning.”
At their conference on STEM teacher leadership held last fall on ’s Westchester Campus, the MCSE invited area K–12 STEM educators to come together and learn from schools that are succeeding in early STEM education. Seven of these schools, including Columbus Elementary, were recognized as the first cohort of the STEM Schools Network, a consortium of distinguished schools that have demonstrated a commitment to STEM education and have leveraged MCSE’s wealth of programs and opportunities. Network schools have access to funds for teachers’ STEM initiatives and enjoy discounts on STEM conferences and other professional development programs.
“Through our many outreach programs, we are seeing real growth in our ability to build a knowledge-sharing community of STEM educators that not only empowers teachers but also helps communities,” said Marrero. “We commend our Network schools for their dedication to learning new practices, sharing technologies and spreading the word about ’s programs to other schools and districts.”
To date, Columbus Elementary has sent four teachers through the Westchester STEM Ambassadors program, another professional development project led by the MCSE. Many have reached out to other schools in the area, connecting with other K–8 teachers and sharing resources and support as more schools work to develop their own STEM activities for students.
Anny Vanegas, a National Science Foundation STEM Master Teacher Fellow, Wipro Reimagined Fellow, Westchester STEM Ambassador and a teacher at Columbus Elementary, acknowledged the support and enthusiasm STEM has received from her administrators and the district. “It’s gratifying to know our district leaders share our belief in the transformative power of science education, particularly for students with learning differences,” she said. “We’re seeing them — all students, in fact — starting to thrive in STEM subjects.”
Columbus regularly hosts evening workshops for families to help support their children’s science learning and bring science into their daily lives. The FLORES family-oriented, bilingual workshops are led by Columbus faculty who have completed a professional learning program at the MCSE.
“Columbus has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to STEM education by wholeheartedly tapping into the resources and opportunities we offer,” said Gunning. “We’re proud to be partners, along with the other members of the STEM Schools Network.”