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NMSI Program Expands in Onslow County
OCS is celebrating the expansion of the National Math and Science Initiative in Onslow County.
NMSI is a program that often partners with the Department of Defense to improve educational opportunities for military children and the communities those children live in. The program works to improve STEM education by partnering with schools to provide training and support for teachers and give students the resources and technology they need to develop lifelong skills. NMSI offers teachers course-specific training, online curricular resources and support from AP experts, while students can benefit from focused study sessions, equipment upgrades and exam fee subsidies.
In January of 2019, the NMSI program was first introduced to the district, and was implemented at Richlands and Northside high schools. The last expansion brought the program to Swansboro High and Southwest High. The program will now roll out at Jacksonville and White Oak high schools, thanks to a generous $322,158 grant from the Department of Defense.
“So many of our military connected students are continually faced with daunting challenges of navigating new schools every several years and enduring long absences as their parents deploy into harm’s way,” said Col. Todd Ferry, Deputy Commander, Marine Corps Installations East – Marine Corps Base, Camp Lejeune. “They serve and sacrifice right along with our service members, so they deserve every advantage and every opportunity to succeed.”
OCS Deputy Superintendent Dr. Beth Folger said that the district has already seen great gains from the NMSI program in both students who are military-affiliated and those who are not.
“We know from our data that the NMSI philosophy, tools, training and support are incredibly effective in increasing participation and achievement in challenging courses,” she said. “Our NMSI partnership has already produced results. More teachers receive intensive training and support, more students take STEM and AP courses, and more supports like tutoring and mentoring are available to our students. NMSI’s key practices are opening doors for our students’ futures.”
Dr. Chris Barnes, principal of White Oak High School, echoed Dr. Folger’s sentiments, saying that NMSI is allowing his school to offer students more opportunities to succeed.
“With a focus on increased rigor, planning, school culture and effective practices, this partnership is a good fit with the instructional excellence that guides us through our district’s Instructional Framework,” he said. “We’re grateful for this opportunity.”