Planned Charter School for Stem Excellence

John Mitty Wednesday, June 6, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  6/5/2012
PRESS CONTACT: 
Diane Cahill - (631)  612-8884

SUNY College at Old Westbury and AU Foundation, Inc.
Announce Planned Charter School for STEM Excellence

SUNY College at Old Westbury and the AU Foundation, Inc. announced today a partnership to develop the Doshi STEM Charter School.  The proposed school would open on the College campus in 2013 and will emphasize science, technology, engineering and mathematics as a means to prepare students for the challenges of college and career in the 21^st century.  STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics and usually refers to education in one or more of these disciplines.  There is a significant decline in students interest in STEM education over the past several years.  In the new global economy, an education with a STEM focus is a vital step towards providing our children with the needed skills and technological familiarity that will enable them to take part in the exciting economies of the future.

The Doshi STEM Charter School will serve a high school population, beginning with a projected class of 125 ninth grade students.  Through a rigorous Advanced Placement curriculum, application based learning, and supportive extracurricular services and activities, the School will seek to enable students to become active classroom contributors and critical thinkers, an approach that is necessary for college admission and success. 

At the same time, the charter school, through its collaboration with SUNY College Old Westbury, offers a unique opportunity to provide a clinically based environment for teacher-candidates who are completing their pre-service practicum.  Further, the charter school will serve as a laboratory environment for faculty of the College's School of Education where the effectiveness of instructional techniques can be developed and monitored, and new theories on instruction and assessment can be tested.   Lastly, in keeping with the goals outlined in the State University of New York’s Strategic Plan, a successful STEM Charter School will serve as a model for replication in other communities across the state as a means of contributing to an improved education pipeline for all New Yorkers.

“Much has been discussed about the need for a skilled workforce related to STEM on Long Island and the pivotal role it can play in the future of our region, state and nation.  Through this collaborative effort, we as a liberal arts college will successfully address this issue at its core – through the education of students, the expansion of knowledge of our professors, and the enhanced preparation of the future teachers our College educates.  We look forward to sharing positive outcomes from this endeavor with the educational community of Long Island and the region.”  - Calvin O. Butts, III, president of SUNY College at Old Westbury. 

“The Doshi STEM Charter School will offer an education that blends experiential learning with the critical elements of education in mathematics, science and more. We hope to draw applicants that will represent the diversity of Long Island.  We will then challenge our students to set their sights high and to exceed their own expectations.  Our goal for all who come to this school will be to prepare them for college and, hopefully, to become mature, sophisticated thinkers who can compete in an increasingly global work world.” – Leena Doshi, M.D., founder, AU Foundation, Inc.

COMMUNITY FORUM:  The partners will be hosting a community forum to discuss the plans for the Doshi STEM Charter School on Monday, June 25, 2012, from 6pm - 8pm, at SUNY College at Old Westbury, located on Route 107, 1 1/2 miles north of Exit 41 off the LIE, in the Student Union Building, Multipurpose Room A.  

STEM:  The Way of The Future.  According to the U.S. Department of Labor, in our future economy, 80% of future careers will demand knowledge of Science & Technology.  Participation in STEM is crucial for those who hope to succeed in life and to be competitive in the global marketplace.

jmitty@longislandyellowpages.com

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