2008-2009 MESA Program Summary
MESA...preparing students for 21st Century STEM Careers!
August 2009
St. Vrain MESA celebrated and outstanding 2008-2009 school year. Partnerships were increased, students and programs received numerous awards, and participation in MESA programs increased dramatically.
Math, Engineering, and Science Achievement (MESA) is an academic enrichment program designed to prepare elementary, middle and high school students to enter Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) professions through collaborative projects focused on building math, science, technology and communication skills.
St. Vrain MESA Statistics
- 79% of the 2007-2008 St. Vrain MESA students were from MESA's target population including ethnic minorities and females.
- One third of all Colorado MESA students were from St. Vrain MESA programs.
- 200 plus students were enrolled in Head Start or other early childhood programs. 84% of these students were Latinos.
- In nine years starting in year 2000, St. Vrain MESA has grown from one program with 30 students to over 50 programs and over 2,079 students participating during the 2008-2009 school year. This dramatic increase showcases the popularity and impact of the MESA program in the St. Vrain district. That’s more than a 100% increase every year.
Other Awards and Accomplishments
- Frederick High MESA FIRST Tech Challenge Team competed in the World Finals in Atlanta, Georgia.
- Casa Esperanza's MESA FIRST Robotics team received the Outstanding Website Design Award.
- Helen Douglass, MESA advisor at Centennial Elementary was one of four Colorado teachers to receive
- the Amgen Excellence in Science Teaching Award.
- The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded the Space Science Institute (SSI) of Boulder, Colorado, a grant to develop a national, informal education project about asteroids. Sunset Middle School was selected as one of three student advisory teams to assist with the national Asteroids Project.
- Heritage Middle School MESA students were selected by Boulder County Parks and Open Space to design t-shirts for the BCPOS teen volunteer program.
- Heritage Middle MESA students attended the Colorado Global Climate Conference and enjoyed a special conversation with astronaut, Sally Ride.
- Altona Middle School MESA students won 1st place in Colorado MESA's Middle School Video Challenge.
- Longmont High MESA students won 1st place in the High School Jamboree Math Quest Competition.
- Spangler Elementary received Outstanding MESA Program of the Year Award from Colorado MESA.
New Partnerships and Networking Outcomes-over 20 new partnerships were added to our existing list of 70 Education Outreach Partners.
- American Association of Cancer Researchers Conference: Finding the Next Generation of Cancer Researchers- 70 high school students attended.
- American Geologic Institute Summer Professional Development Academy- four MESA advisors were awarded an all expense paid opportunity to attend the Academy in Austin, Texas.
- LiveWell Longmont- Spangler Elementary MESA was awarded a grant to implement Square Foot Gardens.
- NCAR/MESA high school internships- two paid summer internships awarded to high school students from Casa de la Esperanza. The NCAR/MESA summer intern program concept will be presented at the American Meteorological Society's upcoming convention in Atlanta.
- Science is Everywhere (SIE), sponsored by the CU Science Discovery Program, received a community grant for $3000 to continue SIE for St. Vrain MESA during the '09-'10 school year. Over 165 MESA students attended the event this year.
- Science Explorers, a Science Discovery Program from CU, reported that over 100 MESA and non-MESA students attended a hands-on and inquiry based energy education workshop at Altona Middle School.
- Dr. Laurel, JILA NSF Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics Frontier Center, is conducting a formal evaluation of the St. Vrain MESA program.
- NSF funded Seeds of Science/Roots of Reading space science unit will be field tested by MESA advisors in several schools.
- MESA advisors participated in a Google SketchUp workshop at Google Boulder on May 28.
- Spangler, Loma Linda, and Casa de la Esperanza field-tested MESA summer programs.
