{"id":401,"date":"2023-01-04T17:51:07","date_gmt":"2023-01-04T17:51:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pellinstitute.net\/wordpress1\/?page_id=401"},"modified":"2025-01-07T18:25:12","modified_gmt":"2025-01-07T18:25:12","slug":"about-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/pellinstitute.net\/wordpress1\/about-2\/","title":{"rendered":"About"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

iStronG is an Asset-Based, Competency-Based Curriculum<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The iStronG conceptual framework is asset-based, testing the perspective that if a more (Inclusive<\/em>) approach is taken in which each student is given the empowering personal experience of learning Systems Dynamics concepts and technical tools such as Stella Architect (Strong)<\/em>; and is also challenged to use these skills to contribute to addressing the climate crisis (Green<\/em>) in their local community, that more students will be likely to believe that they can aspire to life-long learning and set meaningful goals to contribute to the world around them.  Correspondingly, students with an increase in skills, and contributory goals will develop an identity that fosters their pursuing meaningful science and technology-based work. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Six Key Competencies are Fostered in iStronG<\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The competency-based course centers on the development of six key competencies. The five to six-week summer course curriculum culminates in the students preparing a presentation to their local community on a solutions-based project that addresses the challenge of climate solutions and reduction in carbon emissions by a certain amount. These six competencies students demonstrate in the course are: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Understanding Systems and applying the Habits of a Systems Thinker<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Empathetic Understanding of World Climate Issues<\/a> and Climate Justice concerns<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Climate System Literacy <\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Introductory Stella Modeling Tool<\/a> Competency<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Knowledge of Project Drawdown<\/a> Climate Solutions <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Preparation of a Climate Solutions Project<\/a> responding to a challenge to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in students\u2019 local communities.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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    Preliminary Pilot Study Project Outcomes<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    UB students were asked to complete an iStronG pre-survey<\/a> on the first day of the course and a iStronG post-survey <\/a>at the end of the course.  Despite small sample sizes, these surveys found statistically significant changes with modest effect sizes related to several iStronG and National Science Foundation (NSF) goals. Between the pre and post-tests students were significantly more likely to: <\/p>\n\n\n\n