From staff reports
Allegheny-Clarion Valley announced students Grace Barlett and Gina Rhoades have been selected to represent Riverview Intermediate Unit 6 as chief science officers (CSOs) through the statewide STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) in Pennsylvania initiative.
As CSOs, Barlett and Rhoades will work closely with their peers, teachers and administrators to promote STEM education within their school district and local community.
Barlett, Rhoades, their adviser Joe Graf and Riverview IU 6 STEM leader Kelsi Wilcox Boyles recently attended a two-day Leadership Training Institute session (LTI) at the University of Pittsburgh-Bradford. The event brought together students from IU5, IU6 and IU9 regional schools.
During the first day of the LTI, students were introduced to the CSO program’s core concepts and the importance of becoming STEM ambassadors within their school districts. They honed their public speaking skills, engaged in leadership activities and heard from two guest speakers from the STEM field.
In the afternoon, students were divided into three groups and assigned distinct tasks, each requiring research, demonstration and presentation to their peers.
The topics ranged from erupting volcano to dancing, drawing and self-inflating balloons, culminating in each school’s CSOs presenting their action plans to fellow districts.