One of STEM Next’s key strategies is to cultivate systems to support STEM learning – an approach that is aimed at building sustainability for long term improvement, at scale, in the way children and youth learn and engage with STEM. In a recent Harvard Business Review article, Why Social Ventures Need Systems Thinking, Vanessa Kirsch, Jim Bildner and Jeff Walker use the development of EducationSuperHighway (ESH) as an example to define ‘systems thinking’ and discuss its importance. The authors illustrate how ESH founder Evan Marwell employed 1) systems thinking, 2) research and analysis, 3) communications, 4) policy, and 5) measurement and evaluation to drive the share of U.S. school districts with access to 100 kbps connectivity from 30% to 77% since 2013.
‘Supporting each other’s growth:’ Why near-peer mentorship works to build STEM confidence
As we celebrate Mentorship Month this January, we’re focusing on the profound impact that peer mentors can have on young people’s STEM journeys. Near-peer mentorship—where