New Program Links Love Of Orioles Baseball With STEM Education
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The Baltimore Orioles are focusing on STEM education in Baltimore County.
They launched a nationwide partnership to give students from K to 12 access to hands-on science lessons.
The goal of this program is to use baseball-themed content to engage students in STEM education.
Students at Deep Creek Middle School are getting a hands-on science lesson using Camden Yards soil and turf.
"My job is to make sure this sand has all the nutrients it needs to survive," said Nicole Sherry, Baltimore Orioles' heads groundskeeper.
Sherry explained her role in maintaining the Orioles' field and how it is connected to science and STEM.
"[We] bring the experience to students about their love for baseball, and combine it with STEM and science and also show them there are real awesome careers in baseball they can aspire to be," said Coni Rechner, Senior VP of Discovery Education.
Discovery Education is teaming up with Major League Baseball to launch this program in Baltimore County Public Schools.
"Students can see how science connects to all different types of professions and baseball being one of them," said Mary McComas, of Baltimore County Public Schools.
Three MLB teams -- The New York Mets, The Chicago White Sox and The Baltimore Orioles-- are kicking off this new partnership.
"The Orioles are really our hometown team, so anything we can help our students take pride in and being Baltimore County and our local team is a great win win opportunity," McComas said.
Using different baseball-focused STEM projects the lesson plans are geared towards students K through 12.
"Particularly I think it's exciting," said Barbara Mchugh, Senior VP of Marketing for the MLB. "Students can watch a game at home with their parents, and when the broadcasters are talking about Statcast, they can explain to their parents a little bit more behind the scenes of what Statcast really is and how it combines math and science to the game of baseball."
Using real world content as relatable as baseball to encourage students to connect their studies to STEM careers.
This program is available to schools nationwide.
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