California State University, Northridge K-12 educators are collaborating with the new Discovery Cube Los Angeles Science Museum to provide math and science education for children in the San Fernando Valley.
The museum is the first extension of the Discovery Cube in Orange County, which received the National Medal for Museum and Library Service last year.
Susan Belgrad, elementary education professor, is working closely with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the new Discovery Cube Museum at the Hansen Dam in Sylmar, called Cube 2, to bring in CSUN’s student teachers to get experience with math and science education.
“We hope that our CSUN faculty who are engaged in teacher preparation will be able to experience the exhibits and then amplify that science, technology, engineering or mathematics content into our own curriculum.” she said.
Belgrad said she hopes that the new collaboration will give the student teachers in both CSUN’s credential and master’s in elementary education programs a more dimensional understanding of how to promote student achievement in science technology engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.
“Can you imagine the power of NASA, JPL, CSUN and Cube 2 working together? I am so excited in these STEM collaborations,” she said. “It will just raise everyone up. … It will help us to assure that there isn’t one credential candidate that does not understand the need to embrace teaching STEM.”
Other professors from CSUN are looking forward to possible collaborations with the new museum as well. Steven B. Oppenheimer, biology professor and director of CSUN’s “Student Research Abstracts,” plans to donate hundreds of copies of the journal of K – 12 student research to Cube 2.
“As this center is close to CSUN, this might be an opportunity to expand CSUN’s K-12 footprint,” Oppenheimer said.
Biology professor Virginia Vandergon said she is excited for the university’s involvement with the new center.
“It will be a wonderful addition to the Valley, as well as a place for us to get more involved in local science,” she said.
The museum is slated to open Nov. 13.