Oklahoma STEM Mentoring Alliance

This alliance seeks to encourage students with autism towards STEM college programs and careers.

Drs. J. Cecil (Oklahoma State University) and Mary-Sweet Darter (Director, Anselm Center, Edmond) are coordinating these activities.

We invite teachers, parents and students in K-12 schools in Oklahoma to contact us to participate in this program.

Our primary thrust is to organize workshops, discussion forums and other activities aimed at encouraging and supporting students with autism towards STEM careers.

Workshops:

The workshops will vary in duration from 1 to 2 hours and introduce students to science and engineering concepts and technologies using cyber-learning mediums (such as Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality environments), robotic work cells (where students can interact, explore and learn as part of hands-on activities), haptic devices (which enable students to touch/feel objects, manipulate and interact as part of exciting interactive activities) and other tools for a range of process domains. These process domains include robotics, assembly, manufacturing, space systems (such as exploration of lunar surfaces, among others) and medical surgery.

Virtual Environment for Satellite Assembly

VR environment for Bicycle Assembly

A Virtual Reality environment for Surgical Training

Discussion forums:

We are planning meetings and forums in Stillwater and Edmond. Interested special ed teachers, parents, teachers and caregivers are encouraged to email Dr. Cecil (j.cecil@okstate.edu) to obtain more information. We want to create more awareness of STEM programs, obtain a better understanding of students/parents interests in STEM and explore ideas to help them plan for school and college level STEM programs.

We are also planning on working with museums and other informal science learning organizations to encourage informal STEM learning for students and children with autism.

Additional information about our related projects involving students with autism and STEM learning can be found here: