Programs for Schools & Districts

Note: Applications are closed for the 2011-2012 program year. Applications for 2012-2013 will be posted on this site at the beginning of the 2012 school year.

Nexus 2011–2012: A Leadership Program for District STEM Leaders

Nexus is an initiative for district-based leaders, curriculum coordinators, professional developers, and others with responsibility for K–12 STEM education. Through a generous grant from The Medtronic Foundation, the Science Museum of Minnesota formed Nexus in 2006 to support people with district-level STEM responsibilities. The demand for Nexus has grown each year: the program began in 2006 with 26 participants from 14 districts; and expanded into two separate programs with 72 positions for the District program and 25 members for a MnSCU Nexus program through a partnership with Winona State University. The information here pertains to the district Nexus program. Nexus provides seven 6-hour days of professional development for each participant from October 2011 to May 2012. This year the district program will have 72 positions.

Goals for Nexus are to:

• Improve understanding of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines and their integration;
• Build new ideas and approaches to increasing access and equity for all students and closing the achievement gap (e.g culturally responsive teaching strategies, developing and maintaining high expectations for all teachers and learners, the role of diversity in STEM classrooms, etc.);
• Examine various theories of learning, with an emphasis on the relationships among beliefs about intelligence, effort, motivation, and responses to challenges in learning situations; and
• Foster systems-level change by applying new knowledge in participants' districts, schools, and/or classrooms.

The application process for Nexus is competitive. Each district (or consortium of small districts) applying needs to select a team of 3–5 individuals (based on district size) with collective responsibility for STEM efforts within their district(s).

2011-2012 Dates

• Colloquium (2 full days; all participants): October 27 & 28, 2011
• Seminar 1 (1 full day; 24 participants each): December 7, 8, or 9, 2011
• Seminar 2 (1 full day; 24 participants each): January 24, 25, or 26, 2012
• Seminar 3 (1 full day; 24 participants each): March 7, 8, or 9, 2012
• Seminar 4 (1 full day; 24 participants each): April 11, 12, or 13, 2012
• Symposium (1 full days; all participants): May 7, 2012

2011-2012 Program & Application Information

Download information about the 2011-2012 Nexus program here.
(PDF | 174 KB)

Application to the 2011-2012 Nexus Program is now closed.

Visit our Professional Development Philosophy & Mission page to learn more about our approaches.