EAST Alliance2 for Students with Disabilities in STEM

Field Based Natural Science Institute January 12, 2008

An introduction to the camp by EAST’s Samantha Langley-Turnbaugh started the morning.

We proceeded to get to know each other by having a Tower Challenge amongst the individual groups.

Students immediately were asking questions about Environmental Science and Forest Inventory Growth Plots, the topic for the day.

Ken Laustsen, a biometrician for the Maine Forest Service, proceeded to give information about how the data being collected that day would be put in to a software program and shown as figures and graphs.

Ken Canfield, the district forester for the Maine Forest Service, led a hands on discussion regarding winter tree identification. Shortly thereafter students were outside being instructed on how to use their clinometers and how to measure the diameter of a tree.

After a full lunch, students returned to the woods to collect their data. Data was taken on tree species, height, width, damage, and other observations such as wildlife in the area.

Class data was displayed on the whiteboard and Mr. Laustsen entered it in the computer and came up with this information.

The afternoon continued with SMACT (Southern Maine Advisory Council on Transition), introducing the students to self-advocacy and transition to post-secondary education. This began with the students "dreaming" and beginning to realize where they want to go in life.

Computing Institute
Through a strong collaboration with the University of Washington's AccessComputing Alliance, EAST at the University of Southern Maine hosted an overnight summer computing Institute for high school students with disabilities who have an academic interest in computers. The institute was offered at no cost to students or parents. The following topics were covered.

click images to enlarge

Geographical Information Systems
Mechanical Engineering
National Semi-Conductor Job Shadowing experience
Transition and self-advocacy skills
Social skills
Software for learning-Inspiration
University tour
College and career selection
Introduction for students and parents to disability service providers

The USM institute was made possible through the efforts of Dr. John Marshall, Associate Professor, Dept. of Technology; Vinton Valentine, Director of the GIS Lab, Dept. of Geography and Anthropology. Emily Hallett from the Office of Support for Students with a Disability; and four technology undergraduate students: Antonio Schiano, Jamie Fenderson, Jared Boudreau and EAST undergraduate research fellow Skye Long.

Two local companies, National Semi-Conductor and Lanco Assemblies, made the institute come to life with a tour and a job shadowing experience.

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	Field Based Natural Science Institute January 12, 2008 An introduction to the camp by EAST’s Samantha Langley-Turnbaugh started the morning. We proceeded to get to know each other by having a Tower Challenge amongst the individual groups. Students immediately were asking questions about Environmental Science and Forest Inventory Growth Plots, the topic for the day. Ken Laustsen, a biometrician for the Maine Forest Service, proceeded to give information about how the data being collected that day would be put in to a software program and shown as figures and graphs. Ken Canfield, the district forester for the Maine Forest Service, led a hands on discussion regarding winter tree identification. Shortly thereafter students were outside being instructed on how to use their clinometers and how to measure the diameter of a tree. After a full lunch, students returned to the woods to collect their data. Data was taken on tree species, height, width, damage, and other observations such as wildlife in the area. Class data was displayed on the whiteboard and Mr. Laustsen entered it in the computer and came up with this information. The afternoon continued with SMACT (Southern Maine Advisory Council on Transition), introducing the students to self-advocacy and transition to post-secondary education. This began with the students "dreaming" and beginning to realize where they want to go in life. Field Based Natural Science Institute Computing Institute Through a strong collaboration with the University of Washington's AccessComputing Alliance, EAST at the University of Southern Maine hosted an overnight summer computing Institute for high school students with disabilities who have an academic interest in computers. The institute was offered at no cost to students or parents. The following topics were covered.	What do parents have to say? "loved that it was "hands-on" and casual and taught by people who really wanted to be there with them and for them" "The care and attention given to the students…..None of us were treated as if the "staff" knew more than anyone else"	click images to enlarge Geographical Information Systems Mechanical Engineering National Semi-Conductor Job Shadowing experience Transition and self-advocacy skills Social skills Software for learning-Inspiration University tour College and career selection Introduction for students and parents to disability service providers The USM institute was made possible through the efforts of Dr. John Marshall, Associate Professor, Dept. of Technology; Vinton Valentine, Director of the GIS Lab, Dept. of Geography and Anthropology. Emily Hallett from the Office of Support for Students with a Disability; and four technology undergraduate students: Antonio Schiano, Jamie Fenderson, Jared Boudreau and EAST undergraduate research fellow Skye Long. Two local companies, National Semi-Conductor and Lanco Assemblies, made the institute come to life with a tour and a job shadowing experience.
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	EAST is funded under National Science Foundation Award No. HRD 0833567. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.