Education United States Project #11050

Leveraging STEM for Social Change

by Washington STEM

Project Report | Jun 13, 2018
Washington STEM: 2018 Legislative Recap

By Danny Gross | Communications and Digital Media Manager

STEM Capital Grants create STEM learning spaces

This year’s short legislative session was a productive one for STEM education. Your role as a supporter of Washington STEM and our policy efforts cannot be understated. It’s because of you that we were able to move forward important STEM education legislation.

Your support allowed Washington STEM to activate our 50-person policy committee of partners and Network members to advocate for policy and budget items that will bring maximum benefits to Washington students. Through pre-session meetings, an advocacy day with 65 STEM education advocates holding 70 meetings with legislators, and on-going engagement with legislators and their staff, Washington STEM was a lead advocate on the following issues:

Funding for STEM Classrooms: the capital budget passed this year includes $12.5 million to provide under-resourced school districts with funds to construct or modernize STEM classrooms. The STEM Capital Grants program was established in 2015, and the six projects that were funded, including converting an old bus garage into a modern STEM learning space, are almost complete. Washington STEM will administer this year’s grant application process.
First Nations MESA: we worked alongside Washington MESA to save their First Nations MESA program serving Native American students. We advocated along side our partners to make sure that their funding was restored in the state's budget.
Eligibility for the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship expanded: we ensured legislation passed that will allow students pursuing community/technical degrees and certificates to apply for the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship. We also worked to pass legislation that will allow students seeking medical degrees that intend to serve high-need and rural areas in the state to apply for the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship. This scholarship ensures that under-represented students in STEM have access to critical funding for their higher education journey.

Washington STEM also played as a supportive partner for a variety of other key issues, including expanding the State Need Grant, funding an Expanded Learning Opportunity Quality Initiative, expanding funding for climate science education, providing capital funding for postsecondary STEM projects, and expanding the University of Washington's Computer Science and Engineering Program.

As we look ahead to the future, your continued support is needed more than ever. We’ve got work to do in order to strengthen career pathways and early learning for all of Washington’s students. By creating clear through-lines to the most in-demand STEM careers for students, we make sure those students that are underrepresented in STEM have the best chances of accessing the opportunity that abounds in Washington. When it comes to early learning, the research is clear that math and science play a crucial role in predicting future success for students. That’s why we’re focused on investing in, and scaling up, the most innovative STEM early learning opportunities in our state. But we simply can’t do it without you. So, thank YOU!

STEM Network Directors met with the Governor

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Mar 16, 2018
You're a part of our 2017 STEM Success Stories!

By Danny Gross | Communications and Digital Media Manager

Mya, Engineering Fellows Program Participant

2017 was the biggest year yet for Washington STEM. As we look back over the past year, we have many people we need to thank. But before we extend our gratitude to them, it’s YOU we need to thank first. Without your support, Washington STEM simply wouldn’t be able to impact thousands of students across our state.

Take Mya for example. She’s a 5^th grader in Selah, Washington who participated in our Engineering Fellows Program. If it wasn’t for you, Mya wouldn’t have known about all the exciting engineering careers that she could pursue.

Your support also allowed us to work closely with our 10 statewide STEM Networks to make sure that students have access to the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship. Because of that support, 1,751 students in Washington received STEM scholarships.

With your support, we launched our Notable Women in STEM campaign. This campaign highlights amazing women across our state who are actively pursuing STEM careers. We’re sharing stories of women in STEM to help inspire middle and high school girls to pursue STEM careers. Each girl and young women who opts into STEM is another future problem-solver, collaborator, maker, designer, or leader. You're helping to make those possibilities a reality.

Our statewide STEM Networks have continued to advance equity and opportunity in their local communities, and your support of Washington STEM has enabled them to do even more. Here are a few recent accomplishments from all corners of the state:

The South Central STEM Network created their annual STEM Building at the Central Washington State Fair in Yakima. More than 60,000 people went through the STEM Building throughout the 10-day event.
The Skagit STEM Network held their first “STEM Like Me!” event in November, hosting 60 middle school students who learned about career opportunities from STEM professionals. This program is modeled after the Mid-Columbia STEM Network’s program.
The West Sound STEM Network held seven “STEM Cafes” that brought together 300+ teachers with local STEM professionals to learn new hands-on activities and connect classroom learning with careers available on the Kitsap and Olympic Peninsulas.

“This program is helping me be creative, be adaptable, and think outside the box. I get to meet engineers solving real world problems and bring those stories back to my high school students to show how biology is applied in the real world.” –Rebecca Arthur, Biology Teacher, Central Kitsap High School

We’ve got a big year ahead and lots of work to do, but we wanted to take this opportunity to thank you. Without your support, this work simply wouldn’t be possible.

We encourage you to renew your support to make sure that every student in Washington can tap into the opportunity that a high-quality STEM education can provide.

We’re looking forward to sharing our 2018 success stories with you.

Washington State Opportunity Scholarship Students

She is STEM, Allison Camper

STEM Like Me Event

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Dec 19, 2017
#CommunityImpactAwards: We won!

By Danny Gross | Communications Manager

Community Impact Awards 2017 Winner

We’ve got some exciting news to share with you.

Washington STEM has received the 2017 Community Impact Gold Award in Workforce Development from Seattle Business Magazine! The Community Impact Awards honor Washington state businesses and organizations that have a tangible, measurable impact on their communities.

Washington STEM connects businesses, community organizations, and schools to advance STEM education. Check out the “Creating Pathways and Opportunity” video to see how together, we are creating Career Connected Learning opportunities for students across Washington state. Your continued support is vital to keeping these programs going.

We are honored and humbled to know that some of you nominated Washington STEM for this award. Thank you. We couldn’t have done any of it without YOU and your support.

“We need to go further, faster. Our young people don’t have time for us to wait.” -Caroline King, CEO

Why Career Connected Learning?

Washington state ranks first in the nation in the concentration of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) jobs. Opportunities to access family wage STEM careers are rapidly growing. Students can work for some of the world’s most innovative companies as marine engineers, dental hygienists, viticulturists, wind turbine technicians, or programmers. There are multiple education pathways to these and other STEM jobs - post-secondary certification programs, two year technical degrees, and four-year university degrees.

Yet, many young people-especially youth of color, rural youth, youth from low income communities, and girls-don’t have access to experiences such as internships, job shadows, and technical training programs that will position them to enter STEM careers. Students can’t pursue a career that they do not know exists. And, in many cases, education programs are not aligned with workforce needs.

What We’re Doing

Our regional STEM Networks are engaged in on-site business learning experiences, teacher and business collaborations, job shadows, virtual internships, and other career connected learning opportunities.

We’re mapping the current career connected learning system. We’re designing solutions in partnership with educators, students, community members, and businesses about the needs, challenges, and solutions available in career connected learning.

We’re engaged with business leaders and synthesizing data to identify high demand STEM jobs. Across the maritime, health care, technology, agriculture, and food manufacturing sectors we are learning what employers are looking for in new employees and matching skills training with workforce needs.

We’re analyzing the programs that are working and determining how to scale these programs and increase access for underserved youth.

We're doing a deep dive in King County, Yakima, Vancouver, and Spokane to identify best-in-class programs to scale across the state so students have access to great preparations for great jobs.

For more information, please contact senior program officer Gilda Wheeler at gilda@washingtonstem.org.

Caroline King, CEO of Washington STEM

Youth Panel at 2017 STEM Summit

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2018 Legislative Agenda Washington STEM Priorities (PDF)

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