Winston-Salem State University News January 7, 2015 WSSU, SciWorks Begin Pursuing Collaborative Opportunities Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) and SciWorks will begin working together to improve science education for the university's students and increase access to science education for students in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School System. Through a memorandum of understanding scheduled to be signed January 5, the two institutions will explore cooperative, collaborative and creative ways to expand teaching, research and service through both organizations. "This collaborative effort will include a wide range of opportunities such as working with the SciWorks staff to explore informal STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education as a fundamental part of science education for those WSSU graduates who will be teaching at the elementary and middle school level," said Dr. Corey D. B. Walker, dean of WSSU's College of Arts, Science, Business and Education. "We also will work together to improve access to both formal and informal science education for students in our local school system through joint programming." Beyond these immediate efforts, SciWorks intends to become a demonstration laboratory for the Department of Education at WSSU which would allow professors and students to conduct research and test ideas with visitors to the center. The agreement would also support WSSU faculty's ability to share research with a wider public through exhibits, programming and communication through SciWorks. "The role of a science center is not only to engage with students and encourage them to explore and innovate, but to do the same with teachers and potential teachers in our community to deepen their knowledge of science and informal STEM education," says Dr. Paul Kortenaar, SciWorks' executive director. "With Sciworks and WSSU working together to improve access to science in both the formal and informal settings, and research and implement new pedagogies and techniques for dealing with technology in the classroom and the science center, both institutions will benefit from this exciting collaboration - as will visitors to SciWorks, students in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools and the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County community at large." SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-702-5854 Skype: sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree NW Suite 200 Atlanta,GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (LYRASIS) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.