Youth’s Benefit Volunteer Carmen Kifer Named Semi-Finalist for 2012 Maryland Parent Involvement Matters Award

From Harford County Public Schools:

Carmen Kifer, a parent from Youth’s Benefit Elementary School has been chosen to represent Harford County, at the 2012 Parents Involvement Matters Award Gala. The statewide semi-finalist, winner will be announced at the gala event on Friday, May 18, 2012, 6:00 p.m. at Eastern Technical High School. The Maryland Parent Involvement Matters Award is an annual award for parents (and others with legal responsibility for a child) whose exemplary contributions to public education have led to improvements for Maryland’s public school children, teachers, schools, programs, and/or policies.

The following information was provided by the Maryland State Department of Education:

Carmen Kifer – Youth’s Benefit Elementary School
Harford County Public Schools

It is because of the pioneering efforts of Carmen Kifer that Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) education is thriving in Harford County. Ms. Kifer, the parent of two students at Youth’s Benefit Elementary School (YBES), is a true STEM Ambassador. Her role in the school’s first STEM Night last year, designed to promote science and technology to students at YBES, led to the creation of the school’s FIRST® LEGO® League Program, co-directed by Ms. Kifer and included the creation of six 1st – 5th grade teams. She has also worked with public school and government personnel to offer a joint program “STEM and Beyond” at four middle schools in Cecil and Harford Counties. She is now working with the STEM Student Pipeline Subcommittee and YBES to implement another “Beyond” initiative, a flexible STEM after school club that will give parents and kids an opportunity to explore a variety of STEM activities together.