Main

MindSET Interactive Chapter Exchange

This is a summary of the 2009 TBP National Convention MindSET Interactive Chapter Exchange (MICE), which was a brainstorm session dealing with varous challenges encountered when starting a K-12 program.

Challenges

The set of brainstormed challenges was grouped into three categories of somewhat-related challenges. Each category was discussed by a separate group and then presented to the whole MICE group.

Category 1

  • Differences in curricula between different districts
  • Data tracking
  • Meeting space/venue/transportation
  • Selecting dates

Category 2

  • Finding interested teachers
  • Credibility
  • Number of participants
  • Background checks
  • Motivating parents
  • Advertising

Category 3

  • Funding
  • Number of volunteers/motivating
  • Continuity
  • Game plan
  • Expenses
  • Lunch/snacks
  • Other programs/redundancy/partnering
  • Presentation of materials

Solutions

Category 1

  • Differences in curricula
    • To determine the benchmark for 8th grade, aim for 12th grade calculus and backtrack.
  • Selecting dates
    • Fall/Spring preferred since TBP chapters are typically not as active in summer
    • Focus on weekends/evenings (depends on target age group)
    • Morning - avoid needing food (e.g. 9am-noon)
    • Avoid holiday weekends
  • Meeting space/venue/transportation
    • After-school => hold it at the target school
    • Weekend => college campus (credibility, ease for TBP), better if serving multiple schools
  • Data tracking
    • Get base data from state websites; stick to local districts
    • Choose target school(s)
    • Contact schools/district
      • Get a short history of data to see trends
      • Determine per-class bell curves or get other useful anonymized data
    • Get parental releases for individual tracking
      • Privacy/storage is an issue
      • Could avoid storing private information; instead, TBP advisor could visit the school (say, yearly) look at that data over-the-shoulder to look for progress.

Category 2

  • MindSET website for teachers
  • Parent/Teacher info night
    • Have HQ or alumni speaker
    • K-12 teachers with engineering background
  • News coverage - TV/paper
  • Teacher welcome packet (data, results, etc)
  • Student incentives
    • Extra credit, prizes, certificates
    • List on website
  • Fun + exciting modules
    • National committee to refine + adapt modules
  • Talk with school district to find out about Background Check Requirements

Category 3

  • Funding
    • Corporate sponsors - send letters
      • ask for specific amount of $
      • don’t ask for more than you need
      • check with HQ
    • Alumni - ask your alumni center
    • Deans
    • Make a budget
    • Smaller companies
    • Offer to advertise
  • Motivation/number of volunteers
    • Start small
    • Use your friends
    • Freshmen
    • Team building within your chapter
    • Crosslink with other groups
    • Electees
  • Redundancy
    • Find out what other groups are doing
    • Teaching programs
      • connections w/ schools
    • Maybe use a K12 chair who is going to be there for a while