Letter from the CEO
Phew! So we can all breathe a sigh of relief that the world did not end on December 21, as witnessed by the hundreds of guests who joined us on December 22 to Begin the Baktun and celebrate the beginning of the next Mayan calendar cycle. So that's good... now all we have to deal with is the next apocalyptic pronouncement! Meh, I'll take a fiscal cliff anytime.
Needless to say the decisions made in Washington, particularly those that affect the economy, will impact our community, as they will impact communities throughout the country. But whatever the outcome of the negotiations in Washington, we cannot allow ourselves to lose sight of what we do here locally at Chabot, and why we do it.
As one of northern California's leading providers of education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) - Chabot plays an absolutely crucial role in filling the gap in science education that our schools cannot currently provide. Here are some truly alarming facts. Did you know, for example, that:
- California ranks next to last in science on the National Assessment of Education Progress.
- 80% of Bay Area K-5 multi-subject teachers spend 60 minutes or less on science education per week.
- 68% of elementary school teachers have had less than two hours of professional development in science education over the last year... 36% have had none at all.
- In national studies, less than 6% of adolescents reported plans to pursue a career in technology or engineering.
I know, the statistics are hard to believe in a state that boasts the world's eighth largest economy and which has nurtured some of the world's leading high tech and bio tech companies. And while it is estimated that 15 of every 20 new jobs in the state require training in science, technology, engineering and math, sadly many California schools lack the resources, teachers, training and time to teach these very subjects.
Fortunately, Chabot Space & Science Center provides an invaluable resource to Bay Area students and teachers, offering a wide range of classes, after school activities and professional development workshops all focusing on STEM education. Here are some slightly more encouraging statistics. Every year at Chabot:
- Over 50,000 students from schools throughout the Bay Area arrive to take classes in subjects as diverse as geology, chemistry, space, biology, climate change, and history of science.
- 2,000 K-12 teachers receive professional development training through science workshops, networking and resource-sharing sessions, and online resources.
- 275 teens and middle school students are trained as science educators in our Galaxy Explorers and Champions of Science programs with after school science enrichment, career development activities, and internships that encourage them to explore and pursue STEM education and careers. And 100% of our Galaxy Explorers students go on to College.
- Nearly 5,000 K-3 children are engaged in hands-on and imaginative activities in a space-themed class, inspiring youth about space and science at the critical early-learning stage.
- About 5,000 students take part in simulated space missions in our Challenger Learning Center - an immersion experience in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology.
So while we enter the New Year with the future of the economy in doubt, I have no doubt at all that here at Chabot Space & Science Center we will continue to do what we do best - providing thousands of students with the opportunity and encouragement to be inspired by science, to become better informed and better prepared for the 21st century workforce.
President Obama has called science "more essential for our prosperity, our security, our health, and our environment than it has ever been." We tend to agree.
All the best,
Alexander Zwissler
Executive Director/CEO
P.S. If you'd like to check out my occasional blog that explores how and why we decide what to believe, and the implications for
science education and learning, you'll find my latest posting here: Science, well sort of...