MITS
Museum Institute for Teaching Science
About MITS
MITS, Inc., the Museum Institute for Teaching Science, was founded in 1983 with the goal to improve student interest and literacy in science and encourage more children to pursue science, technology, and mathematics in their higher education. Seven prominent museum directors in the Boston area had met with the President of MIT to discuss the declining percentage of students furthering their education in science and engineering, and the seriousness this presented to the economic future of this country. At this meeting the idea of using museums and their educators as a means to offer professional development for teachers was born, and the focus was to target the learning at the elementary and middle school levels (K-8). The early years of school age children is a critical stage when they can easily be discouraged and/or lose interest in these subjects with little likelihood of continuing or returning to them in later years. It is important to capture and nurture children’s natural curiosity of the world around them.
MITS offers professional development to educators with a fresh innovative approach:
- Programs are taught by highly educated and trained museum educators in fields of their expertise
- Teachers participate in inquiry-based, hands-on activities that will engage and excite student interest. Directed, guided, and open-inquiry methods are modeled
- Teachers learn from primary resources made available from Massachusetts’ top leading informal science institutions
- Teachers broaden their knowledge of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, while learning applications to current technology
- Supporting materials, resources and a follow-up are provided
- Programs inspire and facilitate the incorporation of inquiry-based lessons into teachers’ curriculum and are aligned with the Massachusetts Frameworks
A report from the National Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching for the 21st Century states:
Four important and enduring reason underscores the need for children to achieve competency in mathematics and science: (1) the rapid pace of change in both the increasingly interdependent global economy and in the American workplace demands widespread mathematics and science-related knowledge and abilities; (2) our citizens need both mathematics and science for their everyday decision-making; (3) mathematics and science are inextricably linked to the nation’s security interests; and (4) the deeper, intrinsic value of mathematical and scientific knowledge shape and define our common life, history, and culture. Mathematics and science are primary sources of lifelong learning and the progress of our civilization.
The quality of MITS’ programs has addressed these concerns since its inception. Despite national warnings, it has been a growing crisis for the past 25 years. The problem cannot be solved by a single organization but must be a concerted effort by many. Currently, the United States ranks far behind other nations in STEM education. Join MITS’ efforts to raise the quality of science education for our future generations and bring this country back to the forefront in technology and innovation.