North Cascades and Olympic Science Partnership

The North Cascades and Olympic Science Partnership was a National Science Foundation funded project involving 28 school districts, two education service districts, four community colleges, Washington State LASER, the Naval Undersea Museum, Washington State MESA, and Western Washington University. The project involved close interaction of the partners to reform science education in grades 3-10 through teacher professional development, implementation of new curriculum materials, and development and support of professional learning communities in the schools. The partnership focused on increasing the diversity of new teachers and improving science teacher preparation program in higher education institution through innovative recruitment programs, the development and refinement of courses, and carefully planned interactions between colleges and the school districts they serve.