Sigma Xi Education Programs

Education has always been an issue of deep interest to Sigma Xi members. A 1999 survey of a representative sample of members placed initiatives in K-12 and undergraduate education as the respondents' top priority for programmatic attention at Sigma Xi. Sigma Xi Forums held in 1994 and 1999 that addressed education (K-12 and undergraduate, respectively) were the two best-attended meetings in the history of the forum program. Anna Harrison's 1989 Wingspread report, "An Exploration of the Nature and Quality of Undergraduate Education in Science, Mathematics and Engineering" resulting from a conference sponsored by the NSF and the Johnson Foundation and published by Sigma Xi, is still considered a seminal document in education reform circles.

Programs developed at the chapter level demonstrate the interest and commitment of our members to education issues. Each year, chapter annual reports include literally hundreds of examples of Sigma Xi chapters building bridges with their communities through educational programs. Recent national programs in education are designed to support chapter-identified activities, disseminate the best ideas to all of our chapters and honor teachers and others who have made significant contributions to science and engineering education at all academic levels. For example, teacher awards offer an annual opportunity for chapters to recognize outstanding K-12 science and math teachers; over 1,700 teachers have been recognized to date. Science, Mathematics and Engineering Education (SMEE) Grants are available to chapters (up to $1,000) to support K-16 educational programs.

In 1999, the NSF awarded Sigma Xi a planning grant to design a pilot program for chapter-based initiatives to catalyze institution reform in undergraduate education. Since then, several initiatives on the national level have focused on the formation of partnerships with organizations that share our education goals in order to provide additional opportunities for our chapters to grow new chapter programs.

• 1994 Forum - Scientists, Educators and National Standards: Action at the Local Level
• 1999 Forum - Reshaping Undergraduate Science and Engineering Education: Tools for Better Learning
• Education Programs - History

Pan-Organizational Summit on the U.S. Science & Engineering Workforce
November 11-12, 2002
Position of the Board of Directors of Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society

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