U.S. Under Secretary of Education Martha Kanter and several senior officials from the U.S. Department of Education will be in the area on Monday, Sept. 10, to engage in a number of discussions on the role of technology in the classroom and the link between education and the economy.
First, Kanter will visit the Google campus in Mountain View, Calif., at 10 a.m. PT to participate in a career pathways roundtable discussion. The event will bring together California business leaders, regional community college presidents, K-12 educators, and local policymakers to discuss developing and improving career pathways for students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. Kanter will focus on the Obama Administration's ongoing efforts to support STEM education at America's community colleges, and will highlight the success of its $2 billion Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College Career Training (TAACCCT) grant program, which provides funds to pair community colleges with local workforce partners and give them the resources to strengthen their programs and ensure students are developing the skills that employers need.
Following Kanter's event, Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement Jim Shelton will join several education and technology leaders at Google's campus for a Google+ Hangout on "Transforming Education Through Technology." Their discussion will focus on the role that innovative practices can play in closing the opportunity and achievement gaps. Shelton will highlight the initiatives the Department has taken to help ensure that all students have access to a high-quality education, as well as the continued efforts it will make to empower local leaders and boost student achievement. The Hangout will be hosted on Google's website: https://plus.google.com/+GoogleinEducation/posts/d19BGPYgeF1.
In the afternoon at 4 p.m., Kanter and Director of Educational Technology Karen Cator will visit the College of San Mateo for a "Mentor Makerspace" program panel discussion to discuss the importance of STEM education to prepare students for jobs in the 21st century global economy. Several senior officials will also be in attendance, including Assistant Secretary Deb Delisle, Assistant Deputy Secretary Shelton, and Director of Special Education Programs Melody Musgrove. The Makerspace program is an innovative effort by the Maker Movement to encourage K-12 schools to allow students to develop projects that integrate new technologies and express individual creativity. Officials will meet with event organizers and participants to discuss the importance of personalized learning programs—especially those with a STEM focus—to the nation's economic future.
Secretary Duncan and his senior leaders are crisscrossing the country from Sept. 12-21, leading a series of events as part of the third annual bus tour reinforcing the message that Education Drives America. In addition to these events, some of the other stops include Redwood City and Sacramento, Calif.; Reno, Nev.; Salt Lake City; Cheyenne, Wyo.; Denver; Topeka, Kan.; Kansas City, Mo.; St. Louis; Evansville, Ind.; Lexington, Ky.; Charleston, W.Va.; Roanoke, Va.; Richmond, Va.; and Washington, D.C.
For live, up-to-the-minute updates from the road, follow the Education Drives America tour on Twitter using the hashtag #edtour12, or visit the Department's bus tour blog. To receive media advisories, press releases, notifications about postings to the blog, and other special updates during the tour, subscribe to the Department's Education Drives America e-mail updates by clicking here.
The 2012 bus tour marks the third consecutive year Secretary Duncan and senior staff have promoted education on a back-to-school bus tour. In 2010, the tour included the Delta region in the South and the Northeast. In 2011, the tour covered the Midwest from Pennsylvania to Wisconsin.