About NSU Stem Outreach

The goal of NSU STEM Outreach is to spark early student interest in science, technology, engineering and math and encourage future study of and/or employment in STEM-related fields.

The program began in fall of 2011, when Dr. Alyssa Kiesow recognized a need for supplemental STEM instruction. Soon after, a partnership between NSU's science department, NSU students and area elementary schools was formed.

The STEM Outreach Program provides content and experiments to which students and teachers may not otherwise have access, thus helping create a hands-on learning environment full of exciting, new ideas. It also allows college students - including pre-service teachers - to gain experience in the classroom, as they teach lessons and earn practicum hours.

How does NSU STEM Outreach Work?

Each month, Dr. Amy Dolan and a team of biology and biology education majors make online visits to classrooms to teach students about STEM in an exciting, hands-on way. NSU STEM Outreach has educated students in areas such as ecology, biology, physiology, physics, engineering, and chemistry. Past projects have focused on topics such as predator/prey relations, pollinators, DNA, the brain, density, and pH.

STEM Outreach serves area schools including elementary schools in Britton, Groton and Aberdeen. STEM Outreach also provides anatomy-based tours of Northern's cadaver lab to regional high schools.