A coalition dedicated to promoting math and science in Missouri public schools says its message is having an impact.
It’s called METS which stands for Mathematics, Engineering, Technology and Science. It’s an attempt to emphasize courses that seem to have fallen out of favor even as our society turns more and more to technology.
Debra Hollingsworth with AT&T in St. Louis chairs the METS Alliance. She says the alliance has made over 200 presentations throughout Missouri about the issue and how it impacts everyone. She says the state needs to be concerned about how well children do in math and science, because that will impact their future opportunities and that will have an impact on the state as well.
The legislature has given METS $4.2 million and it has incorporated as a 501(c)3 so that it can accept donations. The Alliance has issued a report entitled "A Call to Action for Missouri" emphasizing the importance of schoolchildren taking math and science courses.
Hollingsworth says the members of the METS Alliance volunteer their time for one reason, because they’re committed to making this a better state and giving students more opportunity in the future.
The alliance is developing a long-range plan to put technology in the classroom. The Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority is providing loan forgiveness for pre-engineering students and the Missouri Chamber of Commerce has a scholarship program.
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