MindSET Interactive Chapter Exchange

This is a summary of the 2009 TBP National Convention MindSET Interactive Chapter Exchange (MICE), which was a brainstorm session dealing with varous challenges encountered when starting a K-12 program.

Challenges

The set of brainstormed challenges was grouped into three categories of somewhat-related challenges. Each category was discussed by a separate group and then presented to the whole MICE group.

Category 1

• • Differences in curricula between different districts

  • Data tracking

  • Meeting space/venue/transportation

  • Selecting dates

Category 2

• • Finding interested teachers

  • Credibility

  • Number of participants

  • Background checks

  • Motivating parents

  • Advertising

Category 3

• • Funding

  • Number of volunteers/motivating

  • Continuity

  • Game plan

  • Expenses

  • Lunch/snacks

  • Other programs/redundancy/partnering

  • Presentation of materials

Solutions

Category 1

• • Differences in curricula

    • • To determine the benchmark for 8th grade, aim for 12th grade calculus and backtrack.

  • Selecting dates

    • • Fall/Spring preferred since TBP chapters are typically not as active in summer

      • Focus on weekends/evenings (depends on target age group)

      • Morning - avoid needing food (e.g. 9am-noon)

      • Avoid holiday weekends

  • Meeting space/venue/transportation

    • • After-school => hold it at the target school

      • Weekend => college campus (credibility, ease for TBP), better if serving multiple schools

  • Data tracking

    • • Get base data from state websites; stick to local districts

      • Choose target school(s)

      • Contact schools/district

        • • Get a short history of data to see trends

          • Determine per-class bell curves or get other useful anonymized data

      • Get parental releases for individual tracking

        • • Privacy/storage is an issue

          • Could avoid storing private information; instead, TBP advisor could visit the school (say, yearly) look at that data over-the-shoulder to look for progress.

Category 2

• • MindSET website for teachers

  • Parent/Teacher info night

    • • Have HQ or alumni speaker

      • K-12 teachers with engineering background

  • News coverage - TV/paper

  • Teacher welcome packet (data, results, etc)

  • Student incentives

    • • Extra credit, prizes, certificates

      • List on website

  • Fun + exciting modules

    • • National committee to refine + adapt modules

  • Talk with school district to find out about Background Check Requirements

Category 3

• • Funding

    • • Corporate sponsors - send letters

        • • ask for specific amount of $

          • don’t ask for more than you need

          • check with HQ

      • Alumni - ask your alumni center

      • Deans

      • Make a budget

      • Smaller companies

      • Offer to advertise

  • Motivation/number of volunteers

    • • Start small

      • Use your friends

      • Freshmen

      • Team building within your chapter

      • Crosslink with other groups

      • Electees

  • Redundancy

    • • Find out what other groups are doing

      • Teaching programs

        • • connections w/ schools

      • Maybe use a K12 chair who is going to be there for a while