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The Elementary School Science Center (ESSC) program was established through a 1994 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Pre-college Science Education Initiative. Administered through The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine Hershey Medical Center's Center for Science and Health Education (CSHE), the ESSC program is a K-6 outreach system. The 1999 HHMI Precollege Science Education Program funds will assist CSHE in maintaining and developing the current ESSC program that will improve K-6 student science content knowledge, pedagogical skills, and assessment strategies.
Elementary School Science Centers are in-school teaching laboratories located in an existing elementary school classroom and where all activities of the ESSC program take place. ESSCs are used for K-6 science, health, math and technology education. Components of the program include facilities, partnerships with colleges/universities and businesses within a school district's community, Science Activity Modules, Internet communications, administrative and teacher in-service and program assessment. Beginning in the 1999-2000 school year the ESSC program will service over 16,000 students from diverse, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds and approximately 1000 teachers, representing suburban, rural and urban school districts. The program is being implemented throughout Pennsylvania and beyond.
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