Science Technology Society by Green Design is a professional development program created by Pittsburgh Regional Center for Science Teachers (PRCST). Pittsburgh Regional Center for Science Teachers and the North Central Math/Science Education Collaborative conduct the professional development institutes for STS by Green Design.

The Iowa Chautauqua Program began in the 1980's and serves as the basis for STS by Green Design. The engineering and green design aspects were added by Pittsburgh Regional Center for Science Teachers in 1996 based on work with Carnegie Mellon University. Science Technology & Society by Green Design integrates concepts from science, mathematics, technology and social science using the engineering design approach to learning.

STS by Green Design does not take the place of the regular curriculum. Students will be involved in learning the content embedded in the regular curriculum. The STS by Green Design approach brings current and exciting information to classroom activities involving issues relevant to students lives.

Assessment approaches aligning with current standards are employed to test students and may vary from project to project. The ESTEEM (Excellence in Science Teaching Educational Evolution Model) assessment designed specifically for use in STS programs, is the basis for assessing the impact of the program.

The components of the STS by Green Design program include:

Mathematics teacher Phyllis Howard discusses using EmpowerMath in her classroom as developer Dr. Bill Sacco (center) looks on.

EmpowerMath^75-90: Developed by internationally known applied mathematician, Dr. Bill Sacco, EmpowerMath^75-90 is based on 75 math concepts that solve 90% of the problems in the workplace. Students meet real professionals, use real data, and are challenged with the problems that professionals from the fields of medicine, construction, technology, health and science face in the workplace.

Cooperative Learning Groups: Students work in teams to develop solutions to real world problems. Concept Mapping/Module Development: Teachers learn a framework for structuring science and mathematics content in the context of real world problems.

Green Design/Environment: The Green Design concept is based on delivering performance with minimum impact on the environment. Green is directed at both natural and built environments and includes our systems and our attitudes.

	Jane Konrad, director of PRCST, listens as workshop participants discuss components of the Life Cycle Analysis activity.

Technology: Teachers and students are trained to use webcasting (streaming video) to disseminate student classroom and field activities. Teachers have the opportunity to participate in on line courses.

Life Cycle Analysis: Life Cycle Analysis is a technique for total accounting of the environmental and economic impact of a product or process from raw material to its ultimate disposal.

Standards: STS by Green Design meets the National Science Education Standards, the AAAS benchmarks for Science Literacy, and Pennsylvania Standards in Science/Technology, Mathematics, and Environment/Ecology.

If you are interested in participating in the Science, Technology, Society by Green Design professional development program, please contact North Central Math/Science Education Collaborative or Pittsburgh Regional Center for Science Teachers.

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