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Center for the Advancement of
Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics

 

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The mission of our Center for the Advancement of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (CASTEM) is to encourage West Virginia’s youth to pursue careers in STEM fields and inspire them to become future engineers, scientists, researchers, teachers and leaders.

Here’s how we do that:

• We provide STEM education activities, programs, and research opportunities starting at K-12 grades and extending to the university level.

• We offer professional development to K-12 teachers.

• We encourage the participation of parents and family members to expand their knowledge regarding STEM education opportunities.

• We provide undergraduate and graduate research opportunities for college-level students.

• We seek funding to create opportunities for STEM faculty participation in student research experiences and promote faculty development.

• We help boost vital life skills such as communication, leadership, teamwork, compassion and hard work.

CASTEM operates two STEM Education Centers in Charleston and Beckley, fully equipped with educational equipment and tools, including LEGO robotics kits, science labs, STAR LABs, wind tunnels, flight simulators, project-based learning curriculum, and NASA-approved STEM curriculum. We encourage the facilitation of programs & curriculums offered by national and international STEM organizations such as 4-H, FIRST Robotics, VEX Robotics, NASA, Clean Energy, Upward Bound and GLOBE. In addition, we provide math tutoring to K-12 and college-level students, both campus and facilitating after-school visits.

We partner with other WVSU extension services such as the 4-H Youth Development, Agriculture & Natural Resources, Community & Economic Development, Family & Consumer Sciences, the Department of Communications and the WVSU College of Natural Sciences to further our mission of developing STEM growth and awareness. We build relationships with other academic universities, such as West Virginia University, Marshall University, MIT and Texas A&M University, to collaborate in joint endeavors.

STEM education is an integral part of our day-to-day life. Our team believes in providing learning opportunities to kids, teachers and adults so they can explore the exciting world of STEM and pursue a future in such fields. We encourage critical and analytical thinking, problem-solving skills, creativity and the effective implementation of knowledge to real-life issues. Together, we are inspiring minds and expanding opportunities in the underrepresented areas of our community.