The Siemens “We Can Change the World Challenge” is a national environmental sustainability competition for grades K-12. Win Big Teams compete for more than $300,000 in prizes such as scholarships, adventure trips and a chance to present at the United Nations. Teams can be registered on the Siemens website, and teachers can access free resources like lesson plans and interactive labs to inspire students. Applications are due by March 15, 2012.

According to an article from WestEd, the statewide evaluator for the CTE Community Collaborative projects, “there’s widespread consensus that millions of jobs go unfilled in the U.S. because employers can’t find skilled workers. But there’s less agreement on where the money will come from to train those jobless workers.” Many business owners say they have open positions but can’t find people with the necessary skills. “Our system for preparing young adults is broken,” said William Symonds, director of the Pathways to Prosperity Project at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. “We’re not saying that the system is failing everybody, but it is leaving a lot of young people behind.”  To read the full article about employer concerns and potential solutions, visit the CTE Central Blog here.

In his article “Promoting STEM Careers Starts in the K-12 Classroom,” Steve Metz, editor of the National Science Teachers Association journal The Science Teacher, argues that turning the tide and better preparing students for STEM careers starts with the teacher. “An enthusiastic and knowledgeable teacher can become the role model who triggers students’ interest in STEM and helps them develop the foundational skills needed to pursue careers in those fields.” The article also discusses various statistics in regards to interest among minority groups and women, in addition to the United State’s global competitiveness in STEM careers. For more articles like this and a host of other research topics and resources, visit ASCD.org .

Edutopia.org, created through funds from the George Lucas Educational Foundation, is focused on “improving the K-12 learning process by documenting, disseminating, and advocating for innovative, replicable, and evidence-based strategies that prepare students to thrive in their future education, careers, and adult lives.” It contains many articles and resources for teachers, especially in regards to project-based learning, such as Twenty Tips for Managing Project Based Learning. Visit this link for a video of project-based learning in action: Geometry Class Applies Math Skills to a Real World Problem