There is some well deserved recognition of SMU's Infinity Program in the Dallas Morning News, Thursday edition.

Middle school teachers learn Infinity Project's science, math secrets

To combat a dearth of engineering students at the university level, the staff of Southern Methodist University's Infinity Project sought to capture young minds early to engage them in a love of science and math.

Posted by Dale Fleury, NMSI Regional Director

This is good news:  Thanks to legislation that was recently passed by the Kentucky legislature, a new AP-related scholarship program will get underway this fall in Kentucky.   The program is a terrific way to reinforce the work that NMSI and Advance Kentucky are doing to expand AP enrollments – and it should go a long way toward making college more affordable for low-income students.

Here’s how it works:  The program is a new component of the existing Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES) program.  Students who are eligible for free and reduced-price lunches and who make qualifying scores on Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) exams can earn scholarships to attend Kentucky colleges and universities.

Posted by Rena Pederson, NMSI Director of Communications:

USA Today has a “science quiz” in the Aug. 13 edition that is a handy way for Americans to test themselves.  It’s reinforced with a Harris survey that found 79 percent of Americans believe science is not getting enough attention in our schools – and only 35 percent believe the U.S. will be the world leader in science in the future.   

Posted by Tom Luce, NMSI CEO:

Norman J. Ornstein, who is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C., has been speaking up about the need for the presidential candidates to make scientific competitiveness a core part of their campaigns.   Here is the lead-in from a recent email he sent out and the links to his recent articles for AEI and Roll Call:

"Our overwhelming lead in basic scientific research and our position as home to the best scientists in the world have been the key to our international economic edge. But we are slipping badly as other nations gain strength in research and science education. Senators Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) should make scientific competitiveness a core part of their campaigns and policy agendas."

Posted by Rena Pederson, NMSI Communications Director:

The National Governor’s Association has produced a terrific communications toolkit that should be a helpful resource for anyone working in math and science education. 

POSTED BY B.J. Goergen, Chief of Staff NMSI:

The August issue of Reader’s Digest includes a positive mention of NMSI in the “Big Idea/Small Detail” section on page 22.

Tom Luce, CEO of the National Math and Science Initiative, told the House Education and Labor Committee Tuesday (July 22), “We’re here to say that if the federal government will increase its investment in math and science, the private sector is ready to match you.”

Posted by Rena Pederson, Communications Director of NMSI:  For all those interested in promoting STEM among young people, here is some helpful information on how to change the conversation to create more public support for engineering from the National Academy of Engineering.

ScienceDaily (June 25, 2008) — Encouraging young people to make a difference in the world through an engineering career is more likely to attract them than emphasizing the challenge of math and science skills, says a new report from the National Academy of Engineering that identifies messages for improving public understanding of engineering.

        This Week's Highlight 

The TAP coalition released an update on America’s progress toward doubling the number of students receiving bachelor’s degrees in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The numbers show a disheartening lack of real progress to date, despite growing support for the issue.