About

STEM SENC is a regional effort in southeastern North Carolina serving Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, Cumberland, Duplin, Harnett, Hoke, New Hanover, Onslow, Pender, Robeson, Sampson, and Scotland counties.

STEM SENC is a regional effort in surrounding counties to bring together individuals, organizations, schools, institutions, and businesses for the purpose of supporting STEM learning in southeastern North Carolina. We provide access to aspirational STEM learning opportunities for all learners and those who support them regardless of geographic location, socioeconomic status, race, gender/sex, culture, or ability.

In addition to providing opportunities for partners to connect and share information, examples of some of our activities include the following:

• STEM SENC was one of five community initiatives selected by the Institute for Emerging Issues to participate in ReCONNECT Rural and Urban, part of a three-year, six-forum series focusing on bringing North Carolina and North Carolinians together across lines of division.
• In an effort to bridge the digital divide, STEM SENC partnered with Kramden Institute to provide FREE home computers to 360 students in grades 3-12 in New Hanover County, Pender County, and Robeson County schools. The computers were installed with an open source operating system and came pre-installed with over 100 applications including an offline encyclopedia with over 50,000 articles.
• In a national competition, the joint application submitted by STEM SENC, CESTEM, The North Carolina Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education Center, STEM East, STEM West, and the State Library of NC was accepted to join the Leap into Science Cohort 3. Developed by The Franklin Institute Science Museum and supported by the National Girls Collaborative Project, Leap into Science is a series of evidence-based curriculum and training resources that integrate open-ended science activities with children’s books for children ages 3-10 and their families. The program is designed to take place in community settings like libraries, museums, and out-of-school time programs to engage underserved audiences in accessible and familiar settings.
• STEM SENC partners offer free community events such as the UNCW STEM Learning Cooperative’s Annual North Carolina Science Festival Event.
• STEM SENC partners work together on grants. For example, I-40 E.A.S.T. (Engineering, Agriculture, Science, and Technology) is a two year project engaging students from rural communities in southeastern North Carolina in lab-based scientific investigations, career exploration, public presentations, planning for community development, and STEM entrepreneurship.

For more information, see:

https://uncw.edu/stem/stemsenc/projects.html

https://uncw.edu/stem/projects.html

https://uncw.edu/stem/i-40east.html