The Dow Science and Sustainability Education Center (Dow SSEC) at Saginaw Valley State University was funded by The Dow Chemical Company Foundation in 2013. Its main purpose is to enhance STEM education in the Great Lakes Bay region in Michigan. The Dow SSEC Summer Research Experience groups SVSU faculty members, SVSU undergraduate students, middle- or high-school teachers, and local high school students into research teams that complete a six-week long research project. SVSU faculty members design projects that investigate sustainability, water quality, and other watershed issues. At the end of the six-week long program, the students present their results at the Dow SSEC Poster Symposium. This experiential research program is aimed to enhance STEM career interest and education in its participants. In addition to promoting STEM education, this program provides important outreach to local K-12 teachers and high school students who get exposure to college-level research. Finally, research projects relate to the communities around the Saginaw Bay Watershed, which helps SVSU continue to be a community engaged institution. This presentation will discuss the development of the Dow SSEC Summer Research Experience and highlight some of the key features and outcomes of the program.

Development of the Dow Science and Sustainability Education Center summer research experience, a STEM education and outreach program at Saginaw Valley State University

255th National Meeting (2018)

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