"I received a great education from MCLA that laid the groundwork for me to succeed at law school. I use the skills I learned at MCLA, especially in the area of research and writing, on a daily basis and still speak with many of my former professors. It is not every school where you can create such a lasting bond with the professors and community. The strong community bond found at MCLA was a factor in my husband (Scott Lord ’98) and my decision to attend MCLA and our desire to remain involved with MCLA after graduation."
Buffy D. Lord ’98 Attorney, Donovan & O’Connor, LLP
News & Press Releases
Feb. 20, 2008
BOSTON – The Massachusetts Board of Higher Education (BHE) has awarded a three-year grant of $319,420 from the Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) Pipeline Fund to Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. The STEM Pipeline Fund is a workforce development initiative designed to increase student interest and teacher preparation in STEM subjects.
The grant is part of a larger $3.2 million grant announced by the Board of Higher Education to support three-year, collaborative projects focused on increasing student interest in STEM. The projects bring together K 12, higher education, businesses and community organizations to address regional education and workforce needs.
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, with partners Berkshire Community College, Williams College and regional school districts will produce a series of STEM career awareness and professional development activities including an after-school family STEM program, visits to colleges and employers, and the continuation of the Starlab professional development program. Several of the programs will become STEM Destinations as part of the Berkshire Compact’s Berkshire Passport program, available to students in Berkshire County beginning in third grade.
“We need to show students at young ages that science, technology, engineering and mathematics can be fun,” said State Representative Daniel E. Bosley (D-North Adams), co-chair of the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies. “These hands-on projects will help to create the spark needed in order for students to become more engaged and interested in these critical fields.”
“This funding will promote career awareness and provide role models for students starting very early in their academic experience,” said Patricia F. Plummer, Chancellor of the BHE. “We simply have to do a better job communicating to students and their parents that strong academic training in STEM fields is essential to career success in the future. These projects move us along this path.”
Monica Joslin, lead partner on the grant and Dean of Academic Affairs at MCLA said the grant is a wonderful opportunity to continue the STEM efforts in Berkshire County. “This grant allows us to focus on students, teachers, and families: all of the necessary audiences to increase student interest in STEM.”
The STEM Pipeline Fund was established in the 2003 Economic Stimulus legislation. The BHE awarded $2.3 million in 2004-2005 in support of 19 regional projects statewide. In 2004-2005, MCLA received $65,539 to support the Got Math? program for elementary school students and to begin its STEM Resource Center. A second set of $1.7 million in grants was announced in January 2007 to support 17 three-year regional projects. MCLA received $310,230 from that competition to continue the Got Math? program, a STEM Fellows professional development program for teachers, and to continue the efforts of the STEM Resource Center and regional state science and engineering fairs.
