PIE Media - Partnership for Innovation in Education | PIE Students & 3M Launch Historic Apps
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PIE Students & 3M Launch Historic Apps

In The News

PIE Students & 3M Launch Historic Apps

19:47 29 May in Latest PIE News, Press Release
PIE Students & 3M Launch Historic STEM “Straight A” Apps In Ohio Statehouse with Legislators

Columbus, Ohio – How do you offer students a real world problem and prepare them for a career in science and manufacturing? You ask business partners to create an everyday challenge for students featuring a new “hands-on” method typically used by university professors.

Flanked by educators, legislators, principals and 3M engineers, public school students flipped the switch and made global history by launching two science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) apps from the historic Columbus Statehouse catacombs to the global Apple and Android retail sites. Funded by the Ohio Department of Education Straight A Innovation Grant, the two apps represent an initiative with the Partnership for Innovation in Education (PIE) that matches STEM manufacturing and science business partners with School Districts.

After the launch, PIE CEO Mary Schlueter said, “Our program is based on the pioneering work at Harvard University allowing kids to systematically make decisions using variable pieces of analysis and information. While this curriculum fully satisfies Ohio’s Learning Standards, these kids become decision makers in the classroom, and develop solutions that many of our business partners may have overlooked. These students are creative, technologically savvy and have a strong need to create opportunities for their schools and educators. They want to make a difference in our global and digital communities. We are especially proud that our research shows significant student interest in STEM careers — not only across all grade levels — but especially among girls and minorities.”

3M Milford Human Resources Manager Don Barnes added, “Students experienced the thrill of solving a problem for 3M using similar design, engineering and manufacturing systems that we use in our real jobs. These kids are our future leaders, and we are offering them real opportunities to apply their classroom lessons to the manufacturing floor or engineering lab.

That’s why we would like to do this curriculum again this year with a new set of 6th graders in all of Milford’s elementary school science programs.”

Ohio State Representative and House Education Committee Vice Chair Andy Brenner added, “We need more of these programs in Ohio School Districts. In fact, I’m prepared to join other State and Education Committee legislators to visit these schools and see ‘first hand’ how they are preparing Ohio students for the global marketplace. We need to be the leader in providing innovative and work-ready opportunities for our youngest citizens, in collaboration with Ohio’s STEM industry leaders.”

By May 2015, more than 14 STEM career pathway apps will be launched across global PIE digital platforms, offering new download revenue to more than 18 elementary and middle schools. Roughly 2,500 students and 50 educators participated in the program with Milford Exempted Village Schools and Cincinnati Public Schools, working with 14 community, corporate and government partners.

“This positions Ohio as a global leader in education, and combines classroom learning with real life experience,” says Schlueter. “These partnerships are a win for everyone.”

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App Games: The two game apps, Fabric Bounce and Flappy Fabric, are now available to download for Apple and

Android devices at http://piemedia.org/games/

About 3M

3M captures the spark of new ideas and transforms them into thousands of ingenious products. Our culture of creative collaboration inspires a never-ending stream of powerful technologies that make life better. 3M is the innovation company that never stops inventing. With $31 billion in sales, 3M employs 89,000 people worldwide and has operations in more than 70 countries. For more information, visit www.3M.com or follow @3MNews on Twitter.

About PIE

PIE develops transformational content and technology-based initiatives to accelerate STEM K-12 academic achievement. PIE features first-ever alliances with education, business, and entrepreneurial communities offering high value workforce readiness and career pathway experiences meeting international and State learning standards. PIE is a 501c3 nonprofit, tax-exempt organization, awarded the GuideStar Nonprofit “Gold Exchange” Ranking. For more information, visit www.piemedia.org or follow @PIE_Innovation on Twitter.

3M Media Contact

Fanna Haile-Selassie, 651-736-0876, Fhaile-selassie@mmm.com

PIE Contact

Mary Welsh Schlueter, 513-378-8370, mary@piemedia.org

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