Mobile Laboratory Coalition to Host Congressional Briefing on October 1 to Address Strategies for Engaging Next-Generation STEM Workforce

September 28, 2015 | By Business Wire News

MdBio Foundation:


WHAT:			Mobile Laboratory Coalition Congressional Briefing on STEM Education

WHEN:			Thursday, October 1, 2015
			Noon – 2 p.m.

WHERE:			Rayburn House Office Building
			The Gold Room – 2168 Rayburn
			Washington, D.C.

DETAILS:			The Mobile Laboratory Coalition (MLC), which is comprised of organizations offering traveling laboratory and other laboratory-based education programs, is hosting a Congressional briefing to engage STEM professionals, educators, partners and lawmakers from around the country in discussions about the importance of K-12 STEM education in preparing our next-generation workforce.

			During the briefing, participants will share strategies for addressing the nation’s STEM education challenges, including development and dissemination of traveling laboratories and authentic, hands-on, inquiry-based STEM education programs. The goal of these programs is to supplement resources available in the schools and inspire appreciation and enhanced knowledge of science and scientific inquiry. The panel of esteemed speakers will present proven and effective STEM education programs that are successfully being used across the country to drive interest and academic success among students through this combination of inquiry-based learning and real-life exposure to STEM careers.

			The Mobile Laboratory Coalition is the only mobile STEM education coalition in the country, made up of 29 members in 18 states and two countries (Australia and Switzerland). The coalition’s members have served nearly 1 million students, providing exposure to contemporary science education and STEM careers. The success of the Mobile Laboratory Coalition underscores the value and growing need for informal STEM education programming coordinated with in-school curriculum.

SPEAKERS:			Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) (invited)
			Rep. Jeff Denham (R-CA)
			Rep. Donna Edwards (D-MD)
			Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD)
			Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-CA)
			Rep. Mark Takai (D-HI)
			Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA)

			Brian Gaines – CEO of MdBio Foundation (Rockville, Md.)
			Dr. Amanda Jones – Director of the Science Education Department at Seattle Children’s Research Institute (Seattle)
			Michele Laverty – Director of Ag in Motion from the National Ag Science Center (Modesto, Calif.)
			Dr. Mary Stapleton – Director of Bioscience Education and Outreach at Towson University (Baltimore)

ATTEND:			Media interested in attending should contact Brad Wills (bwills@wills-pr.com); all others, please contact Alex Fabian (AFabian@g2gconsulting.com).

About MdBio Foundation

MdBio Foundation is a non-profit organization that provides innovative, effective, and experiential STEM education opportunities with a focus on bioscience. The Foundation’s interdisciplinary approach uses science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to explore real-world, problem-centric curriculum that bridges school, community, health, and business. MdBio Foundation’s flagship education program MdBioLab, a mobile laboratory for high schools, has provided quality educational experiences to more than 120,000 students throughout the state of Maryland since its launch in 2003. The Foundation also operates other celebrated STEM education programs such as the Young Science Explorers Program for middle school students, the Maryland BioGENEius Award, and ATLAS: Advancing Tomorrow’s Leaders + STEM college and career symposia. For more information, visit www.mdbiofoundation.org.