STEM InitiativesDr. Ellen Lettvin
U.S. Department of Education
No official endorsement is intended or should be inferred by the U.S. Department of Education of any
product, commodity, service or enterprise mentioned in this publication.
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STEM IN PUBLIC AWARENESS…
2007
2009
2010
The State of STEM and Jobs
U.S. News and World Report, 2012
Prepare and Inspire
…the Nation’s future depends on the ideas and skills of its population
…need to be able to solve immense challenges in energy, health,
environmental protection and national security
…provide technical skills and quantitative literacy needed to earn livable
wages
…not just a lack of proficiency but a lack of interest
(http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/pcast-stemed-report.pdf)
Educate to Innovate
Change the Equation (CEO-led coalition)
non-profit to mobilize the business community
100Kin10
coalition to train, recruit, retain excellent STEM teachers
Broadening participation
females, underrepresented minorities
(http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/education/k-12/educate-innovate)
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OBAMA ADMINISTRATION AND STEM:
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WHY STEM?
Demand >> Supply for people with STEM skills
In US and globally
Employment in STEM fields is predicted to grow at nearly
twice the average for all jobs
Engine of economic prosperity is largely driven by innovation
in science, engineering, technology, yet
Only 14% of college degrees are granted in the STEM fields
Only 1% of Bachelor’s degrees in STEM were granted to
students of color
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WHY STEM?
Demand for STEM-skilled workers expected to continue to
increase – both the number and the proportion of STEM jobs
across all levels of educational attainment
High demand in STEM fields:
lower unemployment, higher wages (26% higher)
relative to non-STEM, after adjusting for age, gender, race,
location, industry, etc.
Increased number of students getting post-secondary degrees
But decreased number of students getting post-secondary
degrees in STEM fields
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WHY STEM?
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…but its not just about the jobs!!!
…basic quantitative/analytical skills are necessities
COMMITTEE ON STEM EDUCATION
National goals for STEM Education:
Improve P-12 STEM Instruction – prepare 100,000 excellent new K-
12 STEM teachers by 2020 and support existing STEM teacher
workforce
Increase and sustain youth and public engagement in STEM – support
a 50% increase in the number of U.S. youth who have an authentic
STEM experience each year prior to completing high school
Enhance STEM experience of undergraduate students – graduate
one million additional students with degrees in STEM fields over next
10 years
Better serve groups historically under-represented in STEM fields –
increase the number of students from groups historically under-
represented in STEM
Design graduate education for tomorrow’s STEM workforce
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FEDERAL 5-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN (COSTEM):
COMMITTEE ON STEM EDUCATION
Department of Agriculture
Department of Commerce
Department of Defense
Department of Education
Department of Energy
Department of Health and
Human Services
Department of Homeland
Security
Department of Interior
Department of Transportation
Environmental Protection Agency
Executive Office of the
President
National Aeronautics and Space
Administration
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
National Science Foundation
Smithsonian Institution
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PARTICIPATING COSTEM ORGANIZATIONS:
Build new models for leveraging assets and expertise
Use evidence-based approaches
STEM IN OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME
Inspiration and interest are recognized as key factors to motivating
student achievement in the STEM fields.
Considerable evidence shows that out-of-school time is a critical pathway
for engaging and interesting all students in the STEM fields
Links to real world applications of what students are learning during
school time.
it is a particularly effective strategy for engaging females and minorities
who have the lowest levels of participation in the STEM fields
21st CCLC – nation’s largest out-of-school time program
The Federal government is uniquely positioned with capacity and diverse
assets to provide STEM expertise and resources to students:
scientific data, technology, research and engineering facilities
natural environments, science-technology centers, engineers,
technologists, scientists,…
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THREE INTERAGENCY COLLABORATIONS:
STEM-RICH PARTNERSHIPS
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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
STEM-RICH PARTNERSHIPS
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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
Packing up for the Moon
Develop lunar plant growth
chamber design given constraints
of environment & transportation
technologies available.
Environment and Technology
Crew Exploration Vehicle
(CEV) Design
Design a CEV, to serve multiple
functions and operate in a variety
of environments.
Measuring and Volume
Spaced out Sports
Develop a game for play in
microgravity aboard the
International Space Station.
Forces and Motion
Radiation Exploration
ChallengeDevelop a radiation shielding
system to protect astronauts aboard
a spacecraft
Matter and Energy
Parachuting onto
MarsDevelop a drag device to
slow a spacecraft for entry,
descent, and landing.
Geometry
Why Pressure
Suits?Develop a containment
system to keep
marshmallow Astronaut
“alive” in vacuum.
Air Pressure
STEM-RICH PARTNERSHIPS
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INSTITUTE OF MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICES
STEM-RICH PARTNERSHIPS
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INSTITUTE OF MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICES
STEM-rich tinkering and making:
• Improvisational problem solving, no one “right way”
• Creative solutions, self-expression
• Developing and building out an idea – testing, learning from
feedback, re-designing, re-testing, persisting through frustrations
• STEM as a means not an end:
work with STEM tools,
concepts, and phenomena
• Drawing meaningful bridges
between afterschool and
school STEM
STEM-RICH PARTNERSHIPS
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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
Citizen science: the collection and analysis of data relating to the natural world
by members of the general public, typically as part of a collaborative project
with professional scientists.
Phenology: the study of the timing
of natural events in plants and animals.
Reinvigorated with studies of changing climate.
When do frogs begin to call?
When do wildflowers bloom?
When do songbirds return?
Several national parks have developed citizen
science and environmental monitoring activities:
students help collect phenology data
using established monitoring protocols.
Focus on reaching students in Bureau of Indian Education schools
STEM-RICH PARTNERSHIPS
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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
STEM-RICH PARTNERSHIPS
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Reaching 81 sites with NASA, 25 sites with IMLS, 10 sites with NPS
serving 116 sites across 18 different states
Selection considerations include:
State-level commitment to STEM
Synergies with other ED STEM-focused programs
(e.g., MSP, i3, MSAP,TIF-STEM)
Geographic diversity, rural/urban mix, student demographics
Commitment to training, implementation and evaluation requirements
Additional agency-specific considerations:
(IMLS) SREI with Maker experience and necessary transportation logistics,
experience with diverse youth audiences, sites’ proximity to SREI
(NASA) Access to necessary technology
(NPS) BIE schools with proximity to Park Unit
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: STEM
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Tell me and I forget
Teach me and I remember
Involve me and I learn.
- Ben Franklin
