TERC

For over 50 years, TERC has been engaging millions of learners of all ages in the exciting and rewarding worlds of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). TERC takes a learner-centered, active approach to education encompassing research, content and curriculum development, technology innovation, professional development, and program evaluation, with a commitment to social justice and underserved communities in both formal and informal settings.

TERC’s partnership with CASIS involves the program Windows on Earth, which gives people of all ages a chance to discover their home planet from a new and spectacular point of view. Every day, astronauts aboard the Space Station take hundreds of photos of Earth that are both scientifically valuable and beautiful. All these images are archived online for everyone to explore. Mystery Images from Space is a structured STEM activity for exploring images in the Windows on Earth library.

Examples of TERC’s current projects include:

• Building STEM-infused games to study implicit learning including engagement and outcomes across a neurodiverse group of students
• Designing an interdisciplinary curriculum around biologically-inspired design and robotics
• Creating the online platform for and hosting interactive video events showcasing research
• Developing and implementing English and Spanish materials including activity books and staff guides for integrating math into early childhood afterschool programming
• Designing and conducting a crowd-sourced open innovation challenge to mitigate levels of greenhouse gases
• Researching how makerspaces further STEM literacy
• Researching algebraic thinking and concepts in grades K-5 including development of interventions and resources to strengthen learning and guide policies and practices
• Developing and implementing a collaborative game-based interactive environment where student teams compete in a sports product design challenge
• Researching and developing interactive, avatar-based signing science and mathematics dictionaries for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Experimenting in AR/VR with a STEM-focused “escape room”
• Developing professional development tools allowing science teachers to record, tag, and analyze video of their classroom discussions in real time
• Educating park rangers on scientific research to incorporate into visitor programs
• Evaluating and assessing the impact of teacher professional development as well as the implementation and sustainability of a modified educational version of Minecraft
• Offering online and in-person courses on elementary mathematics teaching and learning
• Researching the social and cultural factors that affect retention of women of color in STEM

TERC offers a deep, meaningful, comprehensive engagement in STEM education for all. For more information visit www.terc.edu, follow @TERCTweets on Twitter, or email contactus@terc.edu.