The Seminole County Public School District (SCPS) in partnership with Physical Science Research Associates (PhySciRA) is pleased to announce January 21, 2020 as the official launch date for the Physics Bus – the first of its kind. The Bus is filled with mechanics experiments and Physics in a Box – Mechanics toolsets. Each box contains 100 hands-on experiments to help US students understand necessary for students’ success physics and mathematical concepts in a real-world setting.
SCSD has seen dramatic results in student and teacher success due to on-site physics labs equipped with Physics in a Box. Because of the results and the vision of the Superintendent Dr. Walt Griffin and Deputy Superintendent Dr. Cote, they created a mobile classroom to reach additional schools and students and teachers. With sponsorship aid from Dr. Tina Calderone, Disney, and the Foundation for Seminole County Public Schools, they’ve created the first Physics Bus.
Why is this bus, and the program it brings to schools so important?
In the United States, the highest-achieving students are behind those educated in other countries. US students scored below 26 countries in math, and 21 in science. Additionally, most STEM jobs depend upon the study of physics. Schools in the United States do not formally teach physics early enough or in a manner that students are able to grasp. Middle and high school science scores are well under the 50% proficiency mark.
The National Association of Manufacturing and Deloitte report that the United States will have 3.5 million STEM jobs available by 2025, with more than 2 million of them going unfilled due to the lack of skilled candidates.
“Physics is mathematics in action. Students need to experience the joy of math and science in a fun, hands-on, and creative setting. The SCPS Physics Bus was created to capture the attention of elementary school students and inspire them to pursue accelerated STEM courses in middle and high school. The Physics Bus will make scheduled stops at SCPS elementary schools and at community events.”
– Dr. Walt Griffin, Superintendent
“The opportunity to learn about physics in elementary school prepares Seminole County Public School graduates for the future. Beginning in 4th and 5th grade, students engage in physics in a ‘field trip’ environment – the bus. We plan to expand to middle schools to include additional physics boxes highlighting Mechanics, Optics and Electricity, and Magnetism. By the time students enter high school, physics will have become fun rather than intimidating.”
-Dr. Anna-Maria Cote, Deputy Superintendent of Equity & Excellence
Seminole County Public Schools is one of the largest school districts in the United States and one of the first to implement the Physics in a Box program and is committed to making hands-on experiments more accessible to a larger number of students. Eventually, the Physics Bus will go from school to school, district to district, and will pave the road to promote physics as a core discipline nation-wide.
“Physics in a Box is what America needs to compete in a global market. The program provides schools with the opportunity to teach math and science the way it’s taught in Europe and Asia – with Physics as a fundamental cornerstone. It’s been built to be easily incorporated as a plug-in to existing school programs. It is the ultimate breakthrough for the US education system.”
-Dr. Anatoliy Glushchenko, Founder of PhySciRA and creator of the Physics in a Box program.
Here are the details:
1) The event will start at 10 a.m. at Hamilton Elementary School of Engineering and Technology, 1501 E 8th St., Sanford, FL 32771.
2) The general public is welcome (come join us!).
3) There will be full-scale demonstrations on what the Bus brings to schools.
4) The Bus will travel from school to school year-round, first through the Seminole School district and then through interested school districts and will also be joining various public events.
5) The Bus targets all students, from elementary school students (grades 3-5), middle school students (grades 6-8), and junior high school (grades (9 and 10).
6) While on the school premises, students will come through the Bus one class after another – one hour per class during an entire school day. Once all classes have gone through the Bus at a particular school, it will head to another school.
For more information about Seminole County School District, visit https://www.scps.k12.fl.us/
For more on the PsySciRA and Physics in a Box, visit https://physcira.com/
