MCLA, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North Adams, MA. -

The Massachusetts Pipeline Fund was established by the Acts of 2003 Economic Stimulus Trust Fund and is directed by the Board of Higher Education. The first stage of funding created seven regional networks. The goal of these Network partners is to build a pipeline between higher education, PreK-16, businesses, and non-profit agencies for the improvement of science, technology, engineering and math education, and is aligned with the Berkshire Compact for higher education.

A second three-year grant has been awarded March 2008 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 goals of the Pipeline Fund:

to increase the number of Massachusetts students who participate in programs that support careers in fields related to mathematics, science technology, and engineering;
to increase the number of qualified science, technology engineering and math teachers in Berkshire County;
to improve the science, technology, engineering and mathematic educational offerings available in public an private schools.

Examples of past Berkshire STEM projects and participation:

MCLA, Berkshire STEM and Bose presented In Harmony with Education. Fall 2006, 1,244 middle school students from Berkshire County attended this standards-based program that was created to be interesting, engaging, and entertaining as it reaches out and grabs the imagination. This curriculum powerfully merges the teaching of math, science and music disciplines so they come alive with new meaning. Designed to reach middle school students of diverse interests and backgrounds this program brings music to life, and brings life to music.

In June MCLA’s Dot Huston and Michelle Potash, Audrey Werner and Lisa Provencher of the Berkshire STEM Pipeline participated in the Girls Incorporated of the Berkshires Expanding Your Horizons Conference held at Berkshire Community College. The conference provides hands-on workshops in math and science and non-traditional careers for over 200 girls each year. For more info, contact Christa Collier 413-442-5174, ext. 16

Middle School Robotics Camp: Ages 9-14. Working with the Legos Mindstorms Robotics System, campers learn all the skills they need to construct new robotics kits. Additional science projects, field trips, swimming, games and movies provide campers with a well-rounded learning and recreational experience.

Upper Housatonic River Valley Course : Intended for K-12 teachers of history, social studies, English, science, business and industrial technology. Introduces and integrates various aspects of the heritage of the Upper Housatonic River Valley – the social, cultural, economic and industrial history of the valley, the ecology of the river throughout that history. Teachers design projects that will infuse this information into their classrooms while meeting the appropriate standards. Field trips to local cultural, environmental, and business sites and presentations by guest lecturers will be a major portion of the course.

The Berkshire County STEM Best Practices Database is an ongoing on-line project that is currently connecting 200+ local STEM teachers K-16 with 28 local businesses, organizations and educators that offers innovative STEM activities, models and curriculum to students and parents. Educational Funding sources, announcements, teacher workshops, guest speakers, teacher resource page and STEM related events as well as the Resource Center materials (see below) are all posted on the website.
If you have a STEM related activity you would like to add to the Best Practiced database contact our Berkshire STEM Coordinator Lisa Provencher at or 413-662-5525.

Past meetings:

STEM Summit I: June 2, 2004, 60 participants representing 14 Berkshire County institutions gathered at MCLA to put together a strategy that would increase STEM activities, student awareness and participation in STEM careers and teaching opportunities.

STEM Summit II: March 23, 2005, 42 participants representing 18 Berkshire County institutions gathered at MCLA for an update on the STEM project and to plan future goals.

STEM Summit III: October 21, 2005, 24 participants representing 18 Berkshire County institutions listened to STEM based presentations, toured the MCLA physics department, explored the STEM Resource Center equipment and hear first hand the “Dos and Don’ts” of running a high school science fair.

STEM Summit IV: May 5, 2006, 59 participants, representing 16 Berkshire County Institutions shared STEM projects and ideas, heard about the Boston Museum of Science Engineering is Elementary, the Berkshire Museum's On-line version of Living Landscapes, BOSE In Harmony with Education Program and toured the inflatable StarLab brought by Sky Connections.