STEMISPHERE CONNECTS STUDENTS, TEACHERS, PARENTS WITH LOCAL STEM RESOURCES
PITTSBURGH, Friday, May 20, 2016 ― A new high-tech kiosk in Carnegie Science Center’s lobby will enable visitors to search STEMisphere (www.STEMisphere.org), a free central hub listing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) resources across the region. The user-friendly website is curated by Carnegie Science Center, but its program listings feature STEM offerings across the Pittsburgh area.
The Science Center created STEMisphere as a community resource for parents to give their kids an edge in STEM subject areas, for educators to inspire tomorrow’s leaders, for students to discover resources and programming of their interest, and for community organizations to list their STEM offerings. The database contains hundreds of listings of programs, classes, events, and more in STEM-related fields for students ranging in age from preschoolers to high school seniors.
Website users can filter their search results with precise specificity of subject matter, age range, date, and more. Students, teachers, and parents can use keywords to search for programs with specific focuses, such as “robotics” or “astronomy.” They can further filter those programs by age and region. For example, a parent could search for a robotics workshop in Allegheny County for a child in grades 6-8 held in July.
Since the website launched in 2014, users have visited on their computers, smartphones, and tablets. The kiosk gives visitors to Carnegie Science Center another opportunity to peruse the website. Located near the Science Center’s entrance/exit doors, it offers an opportunity to parents to browse the site with their children, reflecting on their visit to the Science Center and what science topics sparked their child’s interest.
Anyone with a STEM resource may share a listing for free. Businesses with scientific internships, institutions with specialty camps, or industries sponsoring STEM-related competitions are invited to submit information to the website by visiting STEMisphere.org, then clicking on the “Submit a Resource” button. Forms will be reviewed to ensure their educational value and their fit with STEMisphere’s mission. Once approved, submitted listings will appear online.
Support for STEMisphere was generously provided by Shell, Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, Alcoa Foundation, The Grable Foundation, and Chevron.
About Carnegie Science Center
Carnegie Science Center is dedicated to inspiring learning and curiosity by connecting science and technology with everyday life. By making science both relevant and fun, the Science Center’s goal is to increase science literacy in the region and motivate young people to seek careers in science and technology. One of the four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, the Science Center is Pittsburgh’s premier science exploration destination, reaching more than 700,000 people annually through its hands-on exhibits, camps, classes, and off-site education programs.
About Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh
Established in 1895 by Andrew Carnegie, Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh is a collection of four distinctive museums: Carnegie Museum of Art, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Carnegie Science Center, and The Andy Warhol Museum. In 2015, the museums reached more than 1.4 million people through exhibitions, educational programs, outreach activities, and special events.
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