NEWS RELEASE
OCTOBER 20, 2014 NORWIN SCHOOL DISTRICT 281 MCMAHON DRIVE NORTH HUNTINGDON, PA 15642 CONTACT: Mr. Jonathan Szish, Coordinator of School and Community Relations, 724-861-3000 ext. 1150 or
[email protected]
NORWIN HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO HAVE ACCESS TO STEM PREMIER NORTH HUNTINGDON, Pa. — Starting in November, Norwin High School students will be the first in Pennsylvania to have the opportunity to create a profile on the STEM Premier networking Web site. STEM Premier is an educational services company that began in South Carolina two years ago, and currently serves students nationwide with an emphasis on South Carolina, Indiana, Nevada, Texas and now Pennsylvania. In simple terms, STEM Premier creates the online version of a “baseball card” for students, listing their “stats” and areas of interests. This enables students to showcase their abilities and achievements to prospective employers and postsecondary institutions, and also to learn about scholarship opportunities and internship openings. Student participation will be voluntary and will include parent permission. STEM Premier will donate memberships to all students in the Norwin School District. The Norwin Board of Education approved a formal agreement with STEM Premier at its October 20, 2014 school board meeting.
A sample screenshot of a student STEM Premier profile. Click photo for a closer view.
All interested Norwin High School students will have a guaranteed membership, beginning with seniors, juniors, and sophomores within the first semester, followed by freshmen beginning the second semester of this school year. Students can opt to be ranked according to STEM aptitude, or they can create a profile that focuses on other disciplines, community service, and extracurricular activities. Further, the program is open to all students of all aptitudes and interest levels, not just those who are excelling in STEM subject areas. Norwin School District is the first school district in Pennsylvania to establish a public-private partnership with STEM Premier. The company is donating “premium” licenses to all 1,590 current Norwin High School students, and all future Norwin High School students in perpetuity – and STEM Premier provides this service from High School through age 24. The company’s premium license gives students more features than the standard version, including a module that assists students in finding internships and jobs, a tool that enables students to apply for exclusive STEM Premier scholarships, and a rating / ranking feature that helps students see how they compare against their peers. Norwin School District recognizes the national call to action by expanding learning opportunities for its students to address the shortage of scientists and engineers, according to Dr. William Kerr, Norwin Superintendent of Schools. “With only one third of students qualified for the fast-growing demand for STEM-related jobs, the Norwin School District readily recognizes that STEM Premier provides an important solution for the challenges in the marketplace and for students seeking successful college and career opportunities, both now and in the future,” Dr. Kerr said. “We value our partnership with STEM Premier and particularly the donation of premium licenses, which will greatly benefit our students as they showcase their broad-based experiences, skills, and abilities.” Next Page, Please
Dr. Kerr toured the STEM Premier headquarters at the South Carolina Applied Research Center in August 2013 to meet with its leadership team. During the past year, Dr. Kerr continued discussions with STEM Premier about implementing the enhanced, interactive platform at Norwin School District. Dr. Donald Tylinski, and Mr. Casey Welch, co-founders of STEM Premier, said the platform’s advantage is that it connects students who are passionate about STEM careers to universities, companies, and government agencies while preparing them for success and eliminating geographic boundaries. As president of STEM Premier, and as a native of southwestern Pennsylvania, Dr. Tylinski said he is pleased that Norwin School District is taking the lead in Pennsylvania as the first school district to “roll out” the interactive platform for high school students. “I see this as a way for students to connect and grow,” Dr. Tylinski recently told a group of Norwin High School guidance counselors and administrators. “Kids need it, and parents love it. It keeps the organization of a student’s career in line. Also, when a college or corporation shows an interest in a student, it can provide affirmation and encouragement for students to persevere in doing well academically.” STEM Premier describes its service as giving students an equal opportunity to showcase their talents and abilities through a subscription-based, multi-channel network which connects academic institutions, corporate partners, and government agencies to a pool of qualified STEM talent in the United States and global markets. As an example, a North Huntingdon or Irwin-based business could follow the progress of a Norwin graduate and offer them a job upon completion of college or trade school, Dr. Tylinski said. All correspondence between companies or universities and students are automatically accessible by parents, Dr. Tylinski said, and the interactive platform is a closed social media network with no external or unauthorized communication to maintain the integrity and security of the student profiles. Additionally, none of the student profile information or data will be sold to any other entity. However, colleges, and businesses that subscribe to the service will have access to student profiles. Thanks to a good working relationship between the administrations of Norwin School District, STEM Premier, and Westmoreland County Community College, all 6,000 full-time community college students will also be receiving STEM Premier licenses in the near future, Dr. Kerr said. In addition, there will be a STEM Premier presentation made to all Westmoreland County superintendents in November, and it is anticipated that STEM Premier will extend student memberships to all school districts in Westmoreland County under the same terms and conditions that have been applied to Norwin School District. To learn more about STEM Premier, visit www.StemPremier.com.
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