The program placed three local educators, Matthew Possehl, Clint Holderby, and Taylor Kinsey, at Bastazo this summer, providing them with hands-on industry experience in cybersecurity, programming, and computer science.

The STRIVE program helps Arkansas STEM teachers gain real-world experience they can integrate into their classrooms to better prepare students for high-demand careers. The initiative aims to increase student awareness of the many STEM career paths available, strengthen their ability to succeed in those roles, promote evidence-based instructional practices, and expand teachers鈥� professional networks.

鈥淧artnering with programs like STRIVE allows us to connect with educators who are shaping the next generation of talent,鈥� said Dr. Philip Huff, chief scientist and co-founder of Bastazo as well as an associate professor of cybersecurity at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. 鈥淏y giving teachers a firsthand look at how cybersecurity is evolving, we can help them bring relevant, cutting-edge knowledge back to their students.鈥�

As part of STRIVE, these inquiring educators had the opportunity to spend four weeks of their summer embedded in a cutting-edge company like Bastazo, which offered the teachers a real-world view into how STEM concepts are applied across disciplines. They鈥檒l bring what they learned back to the classroom in the form of innovative lessons meant to engage students in STEM learning. 

鈥淏y spending time in a high-tech environment like Bastazo, our teachers gained firsthand experience with how the STEM skills they teach are shaping critical sectors of our economy,鈥� said Dr. Mark Baillie,  director of the STRIVE program at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. 鈥淎 large majority of our STEM teachers have never been in the workforce outside of academia, yet they are supposed to be preparing students for jobs they haven鈥檛 seen or experienced themselves. These internships give teachers the tools to bring relevance and excitement back to their classrooms, helping students understand not just what they鈥檙e learning, but why it matters. And all this could one day lead to a meaningful career right here in Arkansas.鈥�

This summer, 17 Arkansas teachers were placed at 12 partner sites, including Bastazo, through the STRIVE program. Collectively, these educators are expected to teach nearly 2,400 students across the state this year, equipping them with high-impact STEM lessons designed to boost their readiness for and success in STEM-related careers.

鈥淥ur teachers are at the forefront of preparing students for the future, and experiences like STRIVE give them valuable industry insight they can immediately bring back to the classroom,鈥� said Dr. Debbie Jones, superintendent of Bentonville Schools. 鈥淏y working alongside companies like Bastazo, our educators gain a deeper understanding of emerging technologies, which directly benefits our students and their readiness for tomorrow鈥檚 careers.鈥�

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That was before the Hardy native found the STRIVE program at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, which stands for Arkansas Teachers Collaborating to build a diverse workforce. The paid professional development program for Arkansas middle school and high school STEM teachers provides opportunities for teachers to become immersed in an organization for a short period during the summer to see first-hand how diverse and far-reaching the skills they teach in their classroom relate to the real world.

鈥淭he program places middle and high school Arkansas STEM teachers in businesses for a four-week internship to increase teacher and student awareness of the jobs in their community that use STEM skills,鈥� said Dr. Mark Baillie, STRIVE program director. 鈥淚t helps teachers answer the question: 鈥榃hy do I need to learn this!鈥� or 鈥榃hen will I ever use this?鈥� for all types of disciplines while connecting it to many different career paths.鈥�

Teachers bring what they learn during their summer placements back into their classrooms, promoting approaches such as science inquiry and problem-based learning. Students learn about the diversity of jobs requiring STEM skills and the skills they will need to work in those jobs.

A teacher of 19 years, Smith said she first became interested in the STRIVE program six years ago and thought it would be great to show her students the different types of STEM careers that are available in Arkansas.

鈥淚 work in a very small rural farming community, and I wanted my students to see past where we lived to statewide opportunities that are available for them,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淚 also wanted to bring back hands-on lessons for my students to engage them in science so they would be excited about the content we were covering. STRIVE seemed to be the best way to bring knowledge of STEM jobs and job opportunities into my classroom. It completely changed the way I taught in my classroom.鈥�

Smith worked with Sara Seagraves, education and outreach biologist, during her first STRIVE placement at Mammoth Spring National Fish Hatchery.

鈥淭hat was a lot of fun as a teacher,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淲e got to canoe up and down the river collecting native species of plants and developed lesson plans about the native species of plants for Sara to use when students came to visit the hatchery. I can take that information back to my students, and I got to learn about the different STEM jobs at the hatchery and what opportunities are available for my students if they want to work at the hatchery.鈥�

Over the years, Smith鈥檚 STRIVE internships have also taken her to work at AZ Industries in Highland, the Spring River Innovation Hub in Cherokee Village, the Norfork National Fish Hatchery, and Ridout Lumber in Batesville.

Smith鈥檚 STRIVE connections have led to interesting opportunities for her and her students. Doug Tharp, one of Smith鈥檚 co-workers at Ridout Lumber, served as a guest speaker for her students in Salem.

鈥淗e taught them how to use a tape measure to make measurements for home projects,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淗e also showed them what jobs are available at Ridout, what STEM skills are needed, and what the pay scale is for those jobs. The students just loved it.鈥�

This connection also came in handy when Smith had her students participating in the Gingerbread House STEM Challenge, an engineering assignment that challenges students to build a gingerbread house that meets specific design requirements. During the challenge, she noticed that her students were having trouble communicating with each other and working well on teams.

Afton Yount, marketing coordinator at Ridout Lumber, and Richard Kapp, area operation manager at Ridout Lumber, visited Salem High School in May to teach students 6 Sigma. Developed by Motorola in the 1980s, Six Sigma is a method that provides organizations tools to improve the capability of their business processes.

鈥淭hey met with 120 students and talked about STEM skills and job skills and communicating,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淎t the end of the day, all the students got a white belt certification for Six Sigma. They were able to make a difference for my students. This will make my students competitive and be able to apply those skills in future jobs. All of this came about throughout the STRIVE experience. These businesses want to support our science students and having that personal connection made it possible.鈥�

Currently in her sixth year in STRIVE, Smith has grown from mentee to mentor and is now using her advanced knowledge of the program to help other STRIVE participants.

鈥淎s an advisor, we are mentoring the participants, helping deliver the professional development lessons to the teachers, as well as helping them with their placements and to develop a lesson plan to take back to their classrooms,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淏efore STRIVE, I didn鈥檛 introduce STEM jobs in the classroom. I teach mostly 7th grade, and I think it is important for them to see what jobs are out there and what it takes for them to get those jobs.鈥�

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鈥淚 love to learn new stuff that I can take back to my students,鈥� she said, explaining that she learned about kitchen design, architecture, plumbing, electrical engineering, and more.

Rail was among 26 Arkansas teachers who participated in STRIVE, a statewide paid professional development program for Arkansas middle and high school STEM teachers. Held at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, the program鈥檚 goal is to inform teachers so they can better prepare students for success in jobs that require STEM skills taught in the classroom. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and math.

During STRIVE, teachers are immersed in local businesses and industries for part of the summer to experience how the skills they teach in the classroom relate to the real world. Teachers receive training and support in how to incorporate the experiences into their classrooms, promoting approaches such as science inquiry and problem-based learning.

Rail intends to incorporate what she learned at Ridout Lumber in Conway into a classroom project for her students.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e going to create a blue blueprint for a house, determine what materials that will need, and the cost,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to look at the different careers involved in building that house such as the architect, the engineer, the plumber, and the electrician.鈥�

Rail is a mentee in the program because it鈥檚 her first year. STRIVE has a tiered approach involving mentees, mentors (second year), and advisors.

Cameran Faucette, who teaches biology and human anatomy/physiology at Watson Chapel High School, is a mentor in the program.

鈥淪TRIVE is the future,鈥� he said, explaining that it allows teachers to help students explore new career pathways and gain skills at a high school level.

When he was immersed in the Kohler manufacturing company in Sheridan, Faucette asked two questions: What are some skills that you see people lacking when they come into a job like this? What are some of the skills you see as positive assets to the company? The responses were self-motivation and attendance.

鈥淚鈥檓 going to incorporate those skills into my lesson plan as 21st Century skills,鈥� he said, adding that he will continue to include the specialized lab skills he added when he was immersed with the National Center for Toxicological Research in Jefferson County last summer.

Moriah Santiago, a 6th grade science teacher at J.O. Kelly Middle School in Springdale, said STRIVE inspired her to increase student awareness of the diversity of jobs that require STEM skills.

鈥淚 am committed to teaching them the skills they need in any future workforce and I鈥檓 excited to invite any community partners to my classroom so we can interact more with our community,鈥� she said.

Lyndsey Rich, a health sciences teacher at Valley View High School in Jonesboro and a STRIVE advisor, said the program has transformed her.

鈥淚t has changed me as an educator in evaluating data on my students, making sure my lessons are applicable to the workforce and rigorous, and determining how to use that data to improve for next year,鈥� she said.

As an advisor, Rich has helped create professional development for when the teacher meets in person and for asynchronous learning. She also provides support for the mentors.

鈥淪TRIVE is always looking to support businesses, teachers, and students in all parts of the state,鈥� said Dr. Mark Baillie, STRIVE program director. 鈥淔or 2024, we are hoping to expand participation in southern Arkansas, so if you live there and are thinking about participating, please reach out to us.鈥�

If you would like to learn more about how you can join the program as a teacher or business, attend the virtual open house on Jan. 20, 2024, from 9 a.m. 鈥� 12:30 p.m. on Zoom. Register for the . For more information, please visit the STRIVE program website at .

The teachers who participated in the 2023 STRIVE program are Jessi Beaver and Brandon Murphy, Maumelle High School; Chad Nall, eSTEM Charter High School; Kellie Smith, Horace Mann Middle School; Larry Williams, Mills Middle School; Whitney Major, Lakeside High School; Aquia Vasseau, Hot Springs High School; Cameran Faucette and Pamela King, Watson Chapel High School; Clay Morton, Fayetteville High School; Moriah Santiago, J.O. Kelly Middle School; Paul Wolf, Haas Hall Academy Springdale; Preslee Carter, Drew Central High School; Alayna Duren, Armorel High School; Kyla Glasser, Ahlf Junior High School; Sharon Hamilton, Mountain Home Junior High School; Jamie Hawley, Huntsville High School; Misty Jolly, Corning Middle School; Jennifer Langston, Paragould Junior High School; Debra Rail, Vilonia High School; Lyndsey Rich, Valley View High School; Ron Sayler, Haas Hall Academy Bentonville; Jodi Taintor, Warren Middle School; Kim Usery, Cabot High School; Jody Williams, East End Middle School; and Tyler Williams, Calico Rock High School.

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