LIFT2: Leadership Initiatives for Teaching and Technology
Massachusetts and the nation are experiencing a shortfall of workers properly equipped with the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education and skills necessary for success in an innovation economy. Our industry recognizes the need for a coordinated response to this “pipeline” problem.
The Engineering Center is working with the Metro South/West Regional Employment Board to promote the Massachusetts Department of Education sponsored Leadership Initiatives for Teaching and Technology Program (LIFT2) Program. A program where firms sponsor industry externships for middle and high school STEM teachers. It is designed to help experienced and developing teachers relate classroom curriculum to authentic and relevant applications in the 21st Century workplace.
Our goal is to arrange engineering and land surveying five to eight week externships for 25 LIFT2 teachers beginning in June of this year.
Cick on the Participating Firms tab to view LIFT2 Externship Placements.
To discuss steps for your firm to participate and benefit as a sponsor of this program, email Susan D'Olimpio or contact by telephone at 617/305-4111.
The LIFT2 Program offers secondary school STEM teachers professional learning experiences that integrate graduate courses with relevant externships in the industry. Through direct engagement with teachers, companies can offer important insight into careers that have high relevance for students. Because teachers have a very positive influence over career decisions made by many hundreds of students per year, this professional learning program offers a highly leveraged investment to address a decline of interest in engineering. This combination of industry work experience and formal program of graduate level study improves teacher classroom instructional practice and leadership abilities. This perspective has been shown to motivate students to pursue stem college majors and ultimately careers in engineering fields.
The cornerstone of this program is providing teachers with firm-sponsored 5-8 week externships in the industry. Last summer eleven ACEC/MA member firms successfully participated in the LIFT2 initiative and benefited by supporting this Externship Program.
To date, we are a third the way toward our goal for placing 25 teachers in engineering and land surveying externships beginning June of this year. Contact Susan D'Olimpio for more information on how to join in this initiative.
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With the participation of the following firms, we are a third of the way to our goal to place 25 teachers in engineering and land surveying externships. Please join in this initiative to place the remaining teachers. Contact Susan D'Olimpio for more information.
Firms participating in LIFT2 Externships:
Acentech, Inc.
EBI Consulting
Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, Inc.
Stantec Consulting Services
Tetra Tech Rizzo
Firm’s Testimonial
VHB/Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.
Weston and Sampson Engineers, Inc.
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