The mission of the FUSION Center is to impact policy and improve educational practice in PK-20 science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) instruction for all students, through transformative innovation, outreach, and research.
The FUSION Center defines STEM education in what we do at UC on a daily basis – creating innovative pre-service teaching experiences and developing meaningful undergraduate coursework in a student-centered manner. The FUSION Center has a coordinated research agenda, defining best practices in STEM Education PK-16.
There are three systemic pieces of the service and teaching of the FUSION Center faculty and staff:
- Professional Practice and Demonstration Lab (PPDL) - a regional showcase and dissemination center for effective STEM practice for teachers and students in PK-12 housed in the Hughes STEM High School.
- Hughes STEM High School – a STEM high school with collaborative community partnerships orchestrated by the SW Regional STEM Education Hub of OSLN. A project-based, real-world STEM curriculum which focuses on four STEM pathways for students (Health Sciences, Engineering Futures, Zoo Academy, and Digital Education). The student are trained using internships and research experiences, a central component of this innovative curriculum.
- Taft STEM Elementary – a STEM elementary school with extensive partnerships developed by the SW Ohio STEM Education Hub of OSLN. The staff at Taft have effectively implemented problem-based, culturally relevant, STEM curriculum with emphasis on Universal Design for Learning instructional strategies and an integrated technology component in many of the lessons. Part of the success of this innovative program is the professional learning communities that have been encouraged to develop.
The FUSION Center is a component of the SW Ohio Regional STEM Education Hub of OSLN. To learn more about the SW Ohio Regional STEM Education Hub of OSLN and the Ohio STEM Learning Network click these links: