Expanding STEM Access Through Simulation Tools

The National Center for Simulation (NCS) and Florida Virtual School Foundation (FLVS) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to bring the power of teaching with simulation to teachers and students in full-time FLVS programs.

The MOU between the two organizations represents an agreement to work together in providing modeling, simulation and training (MS&T) tools as STEM workforce development for educators and students, with the support of the FLVS foundation. Although both parties have already finalized the agreement, a signing ceremony commemorating this MOU is tentatively scheduled for 4 December at the NCS booth during this year’s Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation, and Education Conference in Orlando.

George Cheros, president & CEO of NCS, adds, “NCS is excited about this agreement with FLVS which will expand our already successful STARBASE program. Our program has touched almost 3000 fifth grade students since 2021, ranging from disadvantaged to honors students; for some, it’s an introduction to STEM and MS&T. We’re proud to continue to inspire their love of MS&T.”

Per the agreement, NCS will provide a “train the trainer” introduction of MS&T at FLVS’ Annual Professional Learning Conference, a training event for FLVS instructional and support staff. This introduction will emphasize why simulation is important to STEM education teachers and provide familiarization with tools they can (virtually) use with their students in underserved communities to help improve STEM scores. Later, NCS will host a series of five virtual training courses for a cohort of FLVS teachers to further explore incorporating MS&T options with students at multiple grade levels and in various subject matters.

FLVS will support teachers attending the workshops with stipends and act as a support system in organizing logistical concerns, such as registration for the training.

“FLVS students benefit from [STARBASE] opportunities to come out of the virtual world and learn in a live environment where they physically interact with other students they normally wouldn’t see, and use tools they can’t access at home, such as 3D printers, robotics, various simulators, and virtual reality and augmented reality,” said Lindsey Spalding, NCS’ STARBASE director of workforce development. “This MOU between NCS and FLVS gets DoD STARBASE involved in Team Orlando and showcases the model it has geared toward cooperative collaboration across the Defense Department, academia, and industry. This takes a bigger, broader approach than just impacting one county, since FLVS has opened up statewide access.”

This agreement came about, according to Spalding, when the DoD STARBASE program began hosting FLVS students in its supplemental summer program as a summer camp. STARBASE coordinators found that, over the course of the 25-hour program, students experienced an increased interest in the engineering design process and a better understanding of the forces of motion and energy.