STEAM+ Professional Development Conference Successfully Concludes in Washington, D.C

WASHINGTON - Sept. 3, 2017 - PRLog -- J Rêve International concluded its STEAM+ Arts Integration and Advocacy professional development program for multidisciplinary educators, artists, and cultural programmers on July 30, 2017 in Washington, D.C.

The Wells International Foundation was a proud contributor to the organization and promotion of this leading-edge event, which has received rave reviews.

A multitude of world class presenters spoke to participants from across the U.S. and as far away as Australia.  Among them were former NASA mathematician and aerodynamics researcher Dr. Christine Mann Darden of Hidden Figures, arts education policy expert Jeff Poulin of Americans for the Arts, arts education grants specialist Lakita Edwards of the National Endowment for the Arts, and computer science engineer and artist Patrick Hunter.

"It's rare to have true STEM leaders and artists in the same room for strategic discussions about STEAM+ arts integration," said presenter Alicia Morgan.

Round table discussions provided an opportunity for participants to interact one-on-one with speakers and broaden their STEM network.  Topics included "Working with Cultural Institutions," "Building Social Capital for Educational Leadership,", and "Fundraising for STEAM+ Arts Integration."  Students from the Cultural Academy for Excellence in Washington, D.C. led some of these discussions.

The first STEAM+ awards were presented during the conference.  The winners were:

-- Inspiring Leader in STEAM – Dr. Christine Mann Darden (former NASA mathematician and aerodynamics researcher)

-- Exemplary Educator in STEAM – Susan Bardenhagen (Director, Virginia Association of Science Teachers Region IV)

-- Emerging Leader in STEAM – Alicia Morgan (aerospace/industrial engineer)

During a networking brunch on the final day of the conference, participants discussed their experiences with arts integration and STEM and strengthened connections that will allow them to serve as effective advocates for STEAM+ in their communities.

Among the groundbreaking activities that occurred during the event was the release of the STEAM+ Arts Integration anthology.  Twelve (12) educators and STEAM specialists contributed to this publication, which features global insights and examples of STEAM education applications in multidisciplinary education.  Editor and J Rêve International founder Jacqueline Cofield will begin an international book tour with the anthology in Fall 2017.

To see the 2017 STEAM+ conference report, click on the following link:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9g53TN7PjVReXMzVmlEZWlW...

For more information about the Wells International Foundation, visit http://wellsinternationalfoundation.org.