• A to Z Listing
• Campus Map
• Find People

UCR Today: New News, New Look. Go!

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (www.ucr.edu) — Each year hundreds of middle school students gather at the Riverside Convention Center for the annual Science and Technology Education Partnership (STEP) Conference, including hands-on science activities in the “Oh! Zone.” This year UC Riverside will offer middle school teachers something just for them.

Pamela Clute, director of UCR’s Academy of Learning through Partnerships for Higher Achievement (ALPHA), will lead a free seminar for teachers of students in fourth through 9th grades called “Mathematics…the Foundation of Scientific Thought” at 3:45 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 3 that also includes a buffet dinner.

Clute’s work through ALPHA Center, like the STEP Conference, is designed to help students graduate with the skills needed in the high-technology industries.

“Motivation and relevance are the keys to learning,” Clute said. “We give them specific activities to rekindle the excitement of students about mathematics and science, and to tie math to everyday life."

Teachers will receive free materials and a certificate of recognition from Congressman Kenneth Calvert, co-founder and honorary chairman of STEP. The teachers’ program is scheduled for October 3 from 3:45 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. In general, the STEP Conference will offer students self-guided tours of the Oh! Zone and Discovery Zone, hands-on science experiments, interactive technology exhibits, conversations with industry professionals, an award luncheon featuring Dr. Sally K. Ride as the keynote speaker.

Established in 1999 STEP is a non-profit corporation that produces a science and technology education event every fall, the STEP Conference.

For information on STEP or the conference, contact (951) 898-3333. For information on the UCR-sponsored teacher’s segment of the conference, contact Linda Rankin at UCR’s ALPHA Center. (951) 827-5425.

The University of California, Riverside (www.ucr.edu) is a doctoral research university, a living laboratory for groundbreaking exploration of issues critical to Inland Southern California, the state and communities around the world. Reflecting California's diverse culture, UCR's enrollment has exceeded 21,000 students. The campus opened a medical school in 2013 and has reached the heart of the Coachella Valley by way of the UCR Palm Desert Center. The campus has an annual statewide economic impact of more than $1 billion.

A broadcast studio with fiber cable to the AT&T Hollywood hub is available for live or taped interviews. UCR also has ISDN for radio interviews. To learn more, call (951) UCR-NEWS.