Leveraging STEM for Social Change

Washington STEM is looking to the future and expanding our work in 2016. But we can’t do it without the foundation that we’ve laid in 2015 and without your amazing support. Here’s a little bit about what we’ve been up to in the past few months and the road ahead.

A LOOK BACK

• We celebrated amazing STEM teaching through our STEM in Action Stories 
• We expanded computer science education in schools through Hour of Code outreach activities
• We made sure students were heard at our annual STEM Summit and heard from Dr. Mae Jemison, the first female African American astronaut!
• We highlighted women in STEM at a series of town hallsacross the state

THE STEM SUMMIT

In the last quarter of 2015, we brought together leaders in education, business, the nonprofit sector, and others to discuss ways to increase and improve STEM education throughout Washington state. We brought together 376 business, education, and community leaders; heard from the first African American female astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison; learned what we need to do to inspire female students in STEM; and announced a renewed commitment from the Microsoft Corporation to important STEM activity. You can check out tweets about the event here: TagBoard

A FOCUS ON GENDER EQUITY

“Women make up half of society, so of course we should make up half of the STEM workforce,” says Mill Creek 10th grader Harshu Musunuri.

We at Washington STEM agree with Harshu. To increase the number of women in STEM we must start with great STEM education for girls.

We are making big moves to solve this critical issue: in the last quarter of 2015, we held four town halls throughout the state on Women in STEM. At our STEM Summit, we heard from the first female African American astronaut, Dr. Mae Jemison, and a panel of young women students. We have also worked with our regional STEM Networks to roll out girl-focused STEM events – but there’s much, much more to do.

“If guys are starting to code as kids and girls wait until college, we already have a five-year gap,” says Miss Washington International and Microsoft UX Manager Kylie Hurd.

THE ROAD AHEAD

Washington STEM is seeding a state of innovation. By 2017, it’s predicted that more than 50,000 STEM jobs in Washington will go unfilled due to lack of qualified candidates. We can change that. Our goal is to increase the number of students in our state earning credentials or degrees in high-demand STEM fields, reduce the STEM skills gap, and grow Washington’s economy.

Washington STEM advances excellence, equity, and innovation in STEM education across the entire public education system in Washington state through three major initiatives: STEM Innovation, STEM Policy, and STEM Networks. We do this by providing direct programming to schools (STEM Innovation), supporting regional organizations called STEM Networks, and through statewide advocacy and policy work (STEM Policy). These three initiatives work together to address grand challenges in STEM education. This year, we'll be focusing on computer science, engineering, early math, and career-connected learning. We look forward to keeping you up-to-date on our work.

Links:

• Washington STEM

IT’S ELECTRIC!

YOUR GIFTS LIFT UP GREAT SCIENCE AND MATH TEACHERS

“Scientists, ready!” Classroom talk stops, backs straighten, and index fingers fly to temples, pointing at hard-working young brains. “OK, show me what happens inside a circuit,” says Kellie Goodman, turning to a chart illustrating the D cell battery, wire, and lightbulb her fourth-graders have been using for hands-on experiments.

This electricity lesson is based on a traditional elementary science kit. But there’s little traditional about the way Goodman -- who has been adapting the kits to meet new inquiry-based Next Generation Science Standards -- is teaching it.

 “I used to not like science at all,” admits one earnest girl. “But when she teaches it, I know what to do. Now, I want to be a scientist when I grow up.”

You can watch Kellie Goodman at work in our latest STEM in Action video here.

 WHERE ARE MY EXPLOSIONS?

Teachers ooh and ahh as they watch the flames explode, set on fire by white-hot electric rods plunging into a cauldron of recycled steel bits. They got this experience through a partnership between Washington STEM and Nucor Steel Seattle, a branch of an international company with a site based right in West Seattle.

Nucor Steel is working with a group of motivated STEM teachers to develop lesson plans based on environmentally friendly efficiencies, efficiencies which Nucor Steel invests in and supports.  These lessons will help students learn about STEM careers close to home and are a great example of how great education partners – like Nucor Steel – can support STEM education inspiration. Learn more.  

THE DOCTOR IS IN: GET YOUR STEM QUESTIONS ANSWERED

• Why are teachers struggling with teaching math and science?
• How can we help more kids learn how to code?
• What can we do to prepare more girls for a world full of STEM jobs?

These are the types of questions our STEM Innovation team is tackling.

Your support makes it possible for STEM Innovation to identify the most effective solutions to the most challenging education problems – with imagination, iteration, and scientific methods.

Dr. Andy Shouse has joined us as our Chief Program Officer and is leading our innovation efforts. Andy would love to meet with you, learn more about your interest in STEM education, and answer any questions you have about our education system. Want to meet up? Feel free to reach out! Andy@washingtonstem.org. Learn more about Andy here.