Who are the people you need on board to make your SMT programs a success? The expertise is out there, as are the community leaders who can generate support. In the course of planning to make improvements to your programs, create a list of specific people who can help make it happen. Are there local professors who can give advice on curriculum content? Industry professionals who can serve as role models or offer internships? Influential teachers? Religious leaders who can see the value of an empowering education and foster support for it? Remember that you can’t make these programs happen on your own. If successful, they will be so because of the team that develops around them.

• Who in our community should we reach out to about SMT education?
• How can we encourage community involvement in our SMT programs?
• How have other districts reached out to their communities?
   

Who in our community should we reach out to about SMT education?

• A video clip of Will Friedman from Public Agenda discussing the sorts of people who need to be involved in community conversations. [VIDEO] 
• A discussion between Joe Villani of the NSBA and a group of board members from Missouri and Kansas about what groups of people to reach out to. [VIDEO]
• An article from Education Week about the importance of school principals to sound science education.

How can we encourage community involvement in our SMT programs? 

• Resources for teachers on community involvement in SMT that are also of value to school boards.
• An organization of scientists, engineers, educators, physicians, and other professionals who volunteer their services to support the needs of education as well as government and the community.
• Experience corps is a national group dedicated to providing students with seniors as tutors and mentors.
• A Massachusetts Department of Education brochure on increasing parental involvement in SMT education.
• The Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships.

How have other districts reached out to their communities?

• A Maryland school district with science and math advisory committees. [NEW LINK}
• Retirees help tutor kids in a Nevada school district.
• An Illlinois district’s award-winning partnership program.
• A California district’s award-winning partnership program.
• An Oregon district which held a community forum when its new math curriculum sparked a controversy. 
• A district in Tennesse whose local business community rallied to fund a summer program which had reached the end of its federal funding.