The Lawrence Hall of Science Selected to Participate in White House Early STEM Education Symposium

Thursday, April 21, 2016 — BERKELEY, CA The Lawrence Hall of Science is honored to attend a special event on early childhood education in Washington, D.C. The White House, in partnership with the U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services and Invest in US, will host an event today to highlight the importance of promoting active science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning for our youngest children.

The event will celebrate a broad range of public- and private-sector leaders dedicated to promoting STEM learning across the country. The University of California, Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science is among dozens of organizations announcing a strong commitment to improving quality and increasing quantity of STEM education for young children across the country.

Representing the Lawrence Hall of Science at the event, Early Childhood Projects Director Ellen Blinderman will announce a partnership between the Hall and Los Medanos Community College to develop and pilot an undergraduate course on teaching science and mathematics to young children. The project is supported by a National Science Foundation grant.

The course will be tailored to meet the needs of nontraditional learners, including those with little academic background in science and mathematics. This focus reflects the diverse population of college students entering the field of early childhood education. Once completed, the resulting class will be offered online, with the hope that it will be implemented by colleges and universities nationwide.

The White House Symposium will be livestreamed at 9:00 a.m. ET.

About the Lawrence Hall of Science

The Lawrence Hall of Science is the public science center of the University of California, Berkeley. Its mission is to foster learning of science and mathematics for all, especially those who have limited access to science. By investigating, creating, and evaluating educational materials, methods, and programs, the Lawrence Hall of Science works to increase the quality and quantity of science, technology, engineering, and math learning for all students.

The Hall has an extensive portfolio of programs to encourage early STEM learning. By taking advantage of each child’s natural passion and curiosity about the world, these activities promote lifelong interest in science, and support language development. By collaborating with local social services organizations, the Hall makes science experiences available to high-need families. Programs include parent participation classes, take-home materials, parent education, provider education, and field trips to the science center.

Activities emphasize key science concepts by embedding them in experiences that promote social interactions, literacy development, physical development, and creative play. These programs are based on research that shows that encouraging children’s early scientific thinking has positive implications for school readiness, which in turn, leads to later achievement.

Media Contact

Adam Frost
Marketing Specialist
The Lawrence Hall of Science
University of California, Berkeley
510-642-2226
adamfrost@berkeley.edu