MANSFIELD, PA— Mansfield University’s Department of Education and Special Education has developed a new program entitled STEM ‘Ed’Ventures.
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) teachers in the Northern Tier of Pennsylvania and the Southern Tier of New York are enhancing their curriculum and pedagogy through guided tours of local businesses. These tours give teachers many practical applications of the inter-connectedness of these disciplines to share with students in the classroom.
On the first tour in November, Assistant Professor Michele Whitecraft led 17 area teachers on an agri-tour adventure at Byrne Dairy in Cortlandville, NY. Participants learned the chemistry of yogurt making, saw how pH, chromatography, and titrations are used in the dairy industry, applied scientific principles to real-world problems and gained valuable “hands on” experiences to share with students in the classroom.
The Department of Education and Special Education wishes to 
thank Byrne Dairy and lead scientists Mary Kamm and Katie Russ for their wonderful tour and hospitality. A special thanks also goes out to Christina Fry, director of Educational Field Experiences, and Victoria Zepplin, Tompkins Cortland Community College, for publicizing this new program. MU also wishes to thank all the area teachers who participated in this professional development opportunity.
Additional STEM ‘Ed’Ventures are being planned for the spring. For teachers to get on MU’s mailing list, email Jill Scott at jlscott@mansfield.edu