The EdLab Group

The EdLab Group is a dynamic organization dedicated to educational innovation. EdLab Group is unique in using collaboration as a catalyst for improving teacher professional development as well as providing access to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) for populations often underrepresented in these areas. What can we do for you?

Project Splash Educator Training
The Pacific Northwest Girls Collaborative Project (PNWGCP) offered their first Project Splash educator training to organizations from Washington and Oregon on January 23-27, 2012. In this five-day workshop, educators were introduced to underwater LEGO™ robotics curriculum called WaterBotics, developed by the Stevens Institute for Technology's Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education (CIESE). Educators were presented with research on exemplary practices in gender equity and engineering messaging, and discussed strategies and tools for implementing a summer camp for high school girls. As trained Project Splash organizations, these educators will have access to support and kit materials as they implement one-week robotics camps for high school girls in the summer. The PNWGCP is offering this annual training as part of a National Science Foundation funded grant to scale-up WaterBotics curriculum nationwide.

NGCP Receives New Grant
The EdLab Group has been awarded a $2,500,000, five year grant to expand and continue the work of the National Girls Collaborative Project through the Research on Gender in Science and Engineering program at the National Science Foundation.

To date, 18 Collaboratives, serving 30 states, have been established as a part of the NGCP, facilitating collaboration between more than 8,800 organizations and indirectly serving more than 4.8 million girls. The NGCP will expand to serve at least 11 additional Collaboratives in high need areas.

NGCP: Building the Capacity of STEM Practitioners to Develop a Diverse Workforce will strengthen the capacity of girl-serving STEM organizations to reach and serve underrepresented girls and provide high quality resources for K-12 school counselors to address the barriers to girls' engagement in STEM. The project will also work to increase the effectiveness of current Collaboratives by providing targeted professional development on sustainability, organizational capacity, and shared leadership.

Communities Connect Network Project Progress Report
The Communities Connect Network Project (CCNP) has upgraded 35 public computer centers throughout Washington State. These centers have been retrofitted to provide low-income families with direct access to computer resources, legal and health information, educational opportunities, and workforce development training. Funds from the Broadband Technology Opportunity Program (BTOP) of the Department of Commerce National Telecommunications & Information Administration have allowed CCNP to deploy more than 93 new workstations, serving an average of 420 users per week. Along with these computers, CCNP is also partnering with 22 organizations to provide each center with services that meet the needs of its visitors.

As a CCNP Training Partner, the Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County provides financial literacy training for computer center staff, who learn concepts and techniques to teach local residents basic financial planning. Additionally, other Training Partners are implementing digital literacy and career building classes on a variety of topics, such as basic computer skills, social and digital media, job search fundamentals, interview skills, and resume creation.

By the end of 2012, CCNP will establish four new computer centers, upgrade 35 more, and distribute approximately 200 new workstations. CCNP has created a Web Portal for the digital inclusion community, providing them with a forum to exchange curriculum, share information, and access guidance on how to manage public computing centers.

TechREACH Summer Camps a Success
Thanks to funding from Washington STEM, and with the support of the Ellen Ochoa Middle School and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, EdLab Group hosted two Reality BOOST! summer camps for middle school girls in Eastern Washington this past summer. The girls learned about augmented reality and made virtual 3D pop-up story books, redesigned buildings in their community using Google Sketchup™, and created their own clothing line to present in a virtual fashion show for parents and community members. Girls met with professionals in the field to learn about career opportunities and spark their passion for technology. One camper commented, "Thank you for everything. I loved working on the computer making 3-D objects. I was really lucky to attend - this changed my life about technology. I can't wait to tell all of my friends. I really hope this camp will keep running!" Visit the TechREACH Facebook page to see photos and videos from this summer's session.