Mobile Laboratory Coalition (MLC) Annual Meeting

描述（由申请人提供）：移动实验室为学生提供了一个独特的机会，使他们能够更好地接触尖端的、动手的科学和技术活动；它们也带来了独特的挑战。移动实验室联盟（MLC）成立于2005年，现在被认为是移动科学教育计划的国际伙伴关系，致力于为所有人口提供平等的科学技术教育和劳动力准备机会。自2005年以来，MLC每年为成员项目、正式和非正式STEM教育工作者、合作伙伴和该领域的其他主要利益相关者举行一次会议。这些年度会议至关重要，为移动实验室教育工作者及其合作伙伴提供了一个论坛，以建立和加强他们在移动实验室项目相关领域的知识和技能，并分享项目的成功和挑战。没有其他针对移动实验室及其合作伙伴的会议。拟议的项目旨在通过提供奖学金和战略营销来增加MLC的出席率和会员人数，在未来三年内加强和扩大MLC年会。该项目将使小型和/或独立的移动实验室项目能够主办年会，并扩大会议代表的专业知识范围，这两者都将使所有MLC成员和会议与会者受益。会议的预期成果是通过专业发展、合作的发展、项目质量的提高和评估工具和课程等共享资源的开发，提高各级项目工作人员的效率。最终的结果是，参加移动科学实验室项目的学生接受更高质量和更有影响力的科学教育，并对STEM领域的职业可能性有更大的认识。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Mobile laboratories provide a unique opportunity for improving access of students to cutting-edge, hands-on science and technology activities; they also present unique challenges. The Mobile Laboratory Coalition (MLC) was formed in 2005 and is now considered an international partnership of mobile science education programs that are committed to providing equal access opportunities to science and technology education and workforce preparation for all populations. The MLC has held a conference for member programs, formal and informal STEM educators, partners and other key stakeholders in the field annually since 2005. These annual conferences are critically important to provide a forum for mobile laboratory educators and their partners to build and strengthen their own knowledge and skills in areas relevant to their mobile lab program, and to share program successes as well as challenges. There is no other conference for mobile laboratories and their partners. The proposed project seeks to enhance and expand the MLC annual conference over the next three years by offering scholarships and through strategic marketing to increase attendance and membership in the MLC. This project would make it possible for smaller and/or independent mobile laboratory programs to host the annual meeting and broaden the scope of expertise represented at the conference, both of which would benefit all MLC members and conference attendees. The expected outcomes for the conference are an increase in effectiveness of program staff of all levels through professional development, the development of collaborations, improved quality of programs and the development of shared resources such as evaluation tools and curriculum. The end result is that students participating in mobile science laboratory programs receive higher quality and higher impact science education and have greater awareness of the career possibilities in the STEM fields.