{"id":768,"date":"2024-11-14T15:51:56","date_gmt":"2024-11-14T15:51:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.ii4t.org\/?p=768"},"modified":"2025-03-21T14:48:34","modified_gmt":"2025-03-21T14:48:34","slug":"ii4t-empowers-pennsylvanias-teachers-through-stem-programming-and-personal-development","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.ii4t.org\/?p=768","title":{"rendered":"II4T Empowers Pennsylvania&#8217;s Teachers through STEM programming and Personal Development"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"768\" class=\"elementor elementor-768\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4bf9f2f4 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"4bf9f2f4\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7b74ef90 elementor-widget__width-inherit elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"7b74ef90\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">II4T Uplifts Pennsylvania's Teachers with Classroom Support  and Career-Focused STEM Programming<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4a508de9 elementor-widget__width-inherit small elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"4a508de9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Pennsylvania's teachers and administrators are facing mounting pressure and challenges to adapt curriculum to help students learn 21st-Century career skills.   Our ecosystem partnerships with REC Foundation and For-The-Win Robotics provide them relief, support, and a platform to inspire the generations of students they serve.<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-28c12f37 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"28c12f37\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5b0c8e53 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"5b0c8e53\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1177\" height=\"662\" src=\"https:\/\/staging.ii4t.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Drone-1.webp\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-513\" alt=\"Drone 1\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-71dd5240 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"71dd5240\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>II4T&#8217;s CEO Tim Heffernan teaching a workshop for For-The-Win Robotic&#8217;s groundbreaking <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ftw-robotics.com\/buildflycode\">Build-Fly-Code drone program (link).<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6152a72 elementor-widget__width-inherit elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"6152a72\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">II4T's vision of equity, access, and belonging was built and operated by experienced educators - to enhance school districts in Pennsylvania.<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2dc2f7ac elementor-widget__width-inherit elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2dc2f7ac\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Innovation Institute for Tomorrow (II4T) was founded our very own Tim Heffernan, a retired teacher and father who&#8217;s passion for inspiring kids drove him to pursue his vision of building II4T.\u00a0 Our program director, Steve Cutchall, spent a large portion of his life as a teacher, and is the driving force behind operations at II4T.\u00a0 We are no strangers to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.edweek.org\/teaching-learning\/the-biggest-barriers-to-stem-education-according-to-educators\/2024\/09\">hardships and challenges that educators and administrators face, especially on the ever-evolving landscape of technology in the classroom (link).<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4f387a9e e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"4f387a9e\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5ae0f937 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"5ae0f937\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/staging.ii4t.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/56891025252__43FC57C4-6986-4E70-8F9A-8A790266BED3-1-scaled-1-1024x768-1.webp\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-333\" alt=\"Ritt Smith at an II4T Event\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2b169496 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2b169496\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Retired Cranberry Jr\/Sr High School Principal, Ritt Smith, announcing for an II4T <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vexrobotics.com\/\">VEX Robotics<\/a> Event<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-49fc4eaf elementor-widget__width-inherit elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"49fc4eaf\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">II4T's robotics and drone programming are a perfect solution for schools that desire to provide more STEM opportunities.<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-72984779 elementor-widget__width-inherit elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"72984779\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>School administrators and teachers everywhere are facing common issues in progressing STEM in their school districts; funding, knowledge, and resources.\u00a0 <strong>II4T has been delivering solutions to all three issues since 2017<\/strong>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1f03fcd e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"1f03fcd\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8fbbdb2 elementor-widget__width-inherit elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"8fbbdb2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>&#8220;I would love for more STEM. No money in our budget. No money in our facilities.&#8221;<\/strong><br \/>\u2014 Elementary math teacher, Connecticut<br \/><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.edweek.org\/teaching-learning\/the-biggest-barriers-to-stem-education-according-to-educators\/2024\/09\">Source (link)<\/a><\/em><\/p><p><strong>&#8220;STEM is something we feel we can improve, but resources are so sparse.&#8221;<\/strong><br \/>\u2014 District-level special education administrator, Iowa<br \/><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.edweek.org\/teaching-learning\/the-biggest-barriers-to-stem-education-according-to-educators\/2024\/09\">Source (link)<\/a><\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-83e33fb elementor-widget__width-inherit elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"83e33fb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Zero-Cost to Schools with Major Outcomes through II4T's Robotics and Drone Programming<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ac742ba elementor-widget__width-inherit elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ac742ba\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>II4T runs competitive and showcase events, workshops, and summer camps throughout the year. Staff, interns, and volunteers setup the venue prior to students arriving so they can immediately jump into action.\u00a0 These events are a culmination of months of in class and out of school team-based learning.\u00a0 The II4T experience uniquely primes students for secondary education and STEM-related careers.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>II4T Uplifts Pennsylvania&#8217;s Teachers with Classroom Support and Career-Focused STEM Programming Pennsylvania&#8217;s teachers and administrators are facing mounting pressure and challenges to adapt curriculum to help students learn 21st-Century career skills. Our ecosystem partnerships with REC Foundation and For-The-Win Robotics provide them relief, support, and a platform to inspire the generations of students they serve. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"slim_seo":{"title":"II4T Empowers Pennsylvania's Teachers through STEM programming and Personal Development - Innovation Institute for Tomorrow","description":"II4T Uplifts Pennsylvania's Teachers with Classroom Support and Career-Focused STEM Programming Pennsylvania's teachers and administrators are facing mounting p"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-768","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.ii4t.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/768","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.ii4t.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.ii4t.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.ii4t.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.ii4t.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=768"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/staging.ii4t.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/768\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1174,"href":"https:\/\/staging.ii4t.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/768\/revisions\/1174"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/staging.ii4t.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=768"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.ii4t.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=768"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/staging.ii4t.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=768"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}