Learn more about what’s next in informal STEM. We will continue to feature new and creative research and programs, exciting stories, big picture thinking, news, and STEM systems.
May 2017: A message from Ron
Read moreEarlier this month, Ron talked with Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls about the importance of STEM learning in afterschool and how the burden of the President’s proposed budget cuts would fall largely on the shoulders of young people facing the toughest odds of succeeding in STEM: girls, young people of color, and young people living in poverty.
How to Integrate STEM into Early Childhood Education
Read moreTwo important new reports on early childhood STEM call for action to support teachers, engage parents, build public awareness, and invest in research.
Recognizing Excellent STEM Mentoring Programs
Read moreResearch led by Techbridge and others has found that mentoring is a critically important strategy for supporting underserved and underrepresented students to succeed in STEM. Techbridge has also published a guide to how role models make a difference for girls in STEM. We are pleased that mentoring programs will again get their moment in the spotlight with US 2020’s third annual STEM Mentoring Awards (SMAs). The 2017 awards feature five categories: excellence in volunteer experience; volunteer mobilization; public-private partnerships; impact measurement; and most innovative hands-on project. Deadline is May 31.
How is Your State Doing on Computer Science Education Policy?
Read moreSupported by BNY Mellon, in March 2017, a coalition of organizations convened by EDC and the Massachusetts Computer Attainment Network (MassCAN) released a guide to progress on computer science (CS) education policy in each of the 50 states. State of the States Landscape Report: State-Level Policies Supporting Equitable K–12 Computer Science Education details how each state is doing advancing 10 policy priorities developed by Code.org Advocacy Coalition. The guide also includes broad recommendations for advancing policy, including building a broad base of leadership and ownership among key stakeholders.A key policy priority is to address the lack of diversity in…
Trump Administration’s Budget Would Devastate Afterschool STEM Learning Opportunities For Our Nation’s Youth
Read morePresident Trump’s proposed budget cuts to afterschool programs would deny millions of American youth the opportunity to engage in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) learning; inhibit the development of the nation’s future scientists, engineers, inventors, and business leaders; and cut young people off from building the skills they need to advance in school, work, citizenship and life.If enacted by Congress, the President’s budget would eliminate the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, the single largest source of funding for afterschool and summer programs that enroll 1.6 million students across rural, urban and suburban communities in all 50 states.Afterschool…
STEM Ready America: A Compendium
Read moreOn Wednesday, March 1, new resources and research was released, highlighting how afterschool programs can provide gains in critical workforce skills and interest in STEM careers.The evidence is clear: Students participating in afterschool programs that focus on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) reported increased interest in science careers and gains in important 21st century skills such as critical thinking and perseverance, which are in high demand in today’s workforce.The key findings emerge from the Afterschool & STEM System Building Evaluation 2016, an ambitious study supported by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and STEM Next. The study looked at the…
- By STEM Next and Dylan fitzgerald in News on
States receive new grants to improve career pathway programs
Read moreThe Council of Chief State School Officers and JPMorgan Chase & Co. have awarded $20 million to ten states to increase career-readiness of high school graduates. Delaware, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Wisconsin will convene business and education leaders to strengthen career education and create pathways to economic success for young people.
- By STEM Next and Dylan fitzgerald in News on
STEM Learning Ecosystems Initiative opens applications for 3rd cohort; releases early assessments
Read moreThe STEM Learning Ecosystems Initiative, led by STEM Next and supported by the STEM Funders Network, is now accepting applications for its third cohort. Currently 37 communities are participating in this national ‘community of practice’ to support and advance a cross-sector approach to STEM learning. In early January, the ecosystems initiative released two assessments of the Initiative: Design for Success: Developing a STEM Ecosystem by the University of San Diego’s Institute for Entrepreneurship in Education, and STEM Learning Ecosystems: Evaluation and Assessment Findings by Harvard’s PEAR program.
- By STEM Next and Dylan fitzgerald in Resources on
Tiger Woods Foundation and Discovery Education Launch TGR EDU: Explore
Read moreThe Tiger Woods Foundation and Discovery Education recently launched TGR EDU: Explore, a new web-based resource to help middle and high school students navigate the college exploration process and learn about STEM-focused career paths. TGR EDU Explore is freely accessible and includes TGR Learning Labs’ curriculum, interactive student experiences, online learning activities, educator training, family discussion starters and a virtual field trip around STEM careers.
- By STEM Next and Dylan fitzgerald in Research and Resources on
Advance CTE report recommends actions to increase high school students’ access to industry experts
Read moreA key element of Career and Technical Education initiatives and career pathway programs is providing high school students with access to industry experts who bring a real-world perspective and can help students explore and connect with career opportunities. According to a new report by Advance CTE, the roles industry experts can play in high schools include: part-time or “adjunct” high school instructors, career advisers or counselors, post-secondary faculty who teach dual or concurrent enrollment courses, mentors and career coaches, and advisors for Career Technical Student Organizations.The report, The State of Career Technical Education: Increasing Access to Industry Experts in…
