The eMINTS National Center is a collaborative education program sponsored by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the University of Missouri System Office of Academic Affairs. The eMINTS National Center serves as a resource base for Missouri schools and districts as well as for other states that wish to collaborate with eMINTS staff and with one another to replicate the eMINTS instructional model within their educational systems. eMINTS represented a statewide expansion of the Multimedia Interactive Networked Technologies (MINTs) program that began in 1997 through a cooperative effort of Missouri's Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), the Missouri Research and Education Network (MOREnet), Southwestern Bell and 12 elementary classrooms in six St. Louis County school districts. Because of the promising results of the MINTs program and the state’s desire to build momentum for integrating technology into overall school improvement efforts, DESE rapidly expanded the program into a statewide program in fall 1999. To expedite the eMINTS expansion for 1999-2000, DESE selected the first set of districts by identifying districts that represented a cross section of Missouri’s schools. Since then, districts have submitted competitive applications to DESE requesting participation; selection has been based on multiple criteria. Currently 218 Missouri districts plus 5 districts in Utah are participating in the eMINTS program. View maps of Missouri eMINTS participants, with links to Missouri area, cluster, eMINTS/METS and classroom websites.

Professional development for educators by educators The eMINTS National Center offers professional development programs created by educators for educators. Leading experts at the University of Missouri, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Missouri Department of Higher Education have collaborated to produce programs that · inspire educators to use instructional strategies powered by technology · engage students in the excitement of learning · enrich teaching to dramatically improve student performance Programs range from short-term, customized awareness sessions (including online options) to full school or organizational-wide implementations requiring a long term commitment. Professional development geared to the needs and interests of preK-16 educators is delivered either by eMINTS staff or locally-based trainers who have completed eMINTS "train-the-trainer" certification. Transforming preK-16 education through technology requires changes in the skill levels of both teachers and learners. Today's students demand learning tasks that challenge and stimulate them as they use technology tools to acquire knowledge and skills for the 21st century. eMINTS instructional model eMINTS changes how teachers teach and students learn. Its instructional model provides a research-based approach to organizing instruction and can be implemented in any subject area at any level. The eMINTS instructional model enables educators to · create classrooms where all students are motivated to succeed socially and academically, · fully incorporate technology investments into teaching and learning, · complement existing preK-16 curriculum with critical-thinking requirements found in national, state and local curriculum standards and · build enthusiasm and creativity into daily teaching. Learn more about the eMINTS instructional model .... National recognition · More than 38,000 students in 2,000+ classrooms, grades 3-12, learn the eMINTS way every day across Missouri, Maine, Utah, Nevada and Alabama with more joining the adventure soon. · Two Missouri universities are incorporating eMINTS into their pre-service teacher education programs. · eMINTS named in new federal educational technology legislation, ATTAIN, in May 2007. · eMINTS Comprehensive Professional Development awarded International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Seal of Alignment in 2005. · U.S. Department of Education recognized the eMINTS National Center and Peabody Elementary, a St. Louis, MO, eMINTS school, in its 2004 National Educational Technology Plan, "Toward a New Golden Age in Education." The eMINTS National Center recognized in the 2004 National Ed Tech Plan's success stories in the categories of Leadership and Teacher Training. Publications, presentations, podcasts · Read articles about eMINTS .... · Presentations by and about eMINTS .... · Podcasts from eMINTS National Center .... In their own words - digital stories by eMINTS participants .... Compelling results eMINTS professional development programs are proven valuable and effective. · Insure that significant investments in technology translate into improved student performance. · Provide strategies that produced statistically significant differences on state-wide tests for Missouri third- and fourth-grade eMINTS students when compared to students not enrolled in eMINTS. · eMINTS students in subgroups (special education, low income, Title 1) reduce up to half of differences in test scores attributable to subgroup classification. ·   · Help teachers meet NCLB highly-qualified teacher criteria. See the results reported by external program evaluators ... Leading and collaborating The eMINTS National Center is advised by representatives of the stakeholders invested in the program. This advisory board provides guidance to the Director in the areas of policy formation, strategic planning, fiscal planning and resource development, and ensuring overall program accountability. The eMINTS National Center is a collaborative program developed by the University of Missouri, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Missouri Department of Higher Education. eMINTS began in Missouri - its name an acronym for the project enhancing Missouri's Instructional Networked Teaching Strategies. Today eMINTS can be found in classrooms across the United States and — beginning in 2008 — in New South Wales, Australia. Learn more about eMINTS origins and history ...