CREST - Community for Rural Education Stewardship and Technology

What?

CREST is a five-year, $2 million grant to the Island Institute from the National Science Foundation (NSF), a U.S. government agency. The grant has been made under NSF's "ITEST" (Information Technology Experiences for Students & Teachers) program. The project that has been funded is called "CREST" (Community for Rural Education Stewardship and Technology), and in addition to the Island Institute, involves 16 island and coastal high schools and middle schools, and a number of academic institutions. CREST provides the tools for students and teachers to create place-based learning experiences that use technology to answer community resource stewardship questions. The core concepts of the CREST model methodology are to incorporate 1) Place-based Education, 2) Integrated technologies (GIS, Web Design, and Digital Storytelling), and 3)Sustainable Learning Communities/ Non-Hierarchial Learning to successfully implement STEM programming in rural school settings.  CREST events include professional-development opportunities for teachers, technology trainings for students and teachers, CREST career events for students, college campus visits, and summer training institutes.

Why?

The goal of this project is to create excitement among teachers and students in Maine’s island and coastal communities about technology-related careers. We believe that by building knowledge (using ethnographic and oral history skills) of their own place and learning to use new technologies, students and teachers will better understand the importance and potential of island and coastal communities, and will be better prepared to understand and steward island environments and contribute to diversifying island and coastal economies.

Who?

Principal partners are Island Institute (virtually the entire Programs staff), the University of Maine Machias, College of the Atlantic, and 16 schools.

Advisory partners include: 1) a teacher advisory board that includes teachers from North Haven, Islesboro and Machias; 2) a student advisory board that includes students from Islesboro, Vinalhaven, Deer-Isle Stonington, and Georges Valley High School; 3) an academic advisory board of professors and representatives from MIT, the University of Wisconsin Madison, the University of Maine, the Oak Foundation, and ESRI; 4) a management advisory board.

How?

We teach teams of students and teachers (a total of 55 teachers and 95 students) from each of the 16 participating schools to use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology, develop web sites, and learn ethnography/oral history collecting skills. We conduct summer training institutes each year to help students and teachers refine these skills and build leadership experience to carry back to others in their island and coastal communities. We involve students in visits to college campuses and the opportunity to be mentored by college students. We sponsor career fairs for island students in each year of the grant to help build awareness of technology-related career opportunities.

Background:

This project builds on the Island Institute’s strong and longstanding partnership with island schools on place-based education programs, student aspirations work, and GIS technology. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Maine’s strong island schools, teachers, and communities, without whose involvement and support this grant would not have been possible.

Funding Provided by the National Science Foundation.