Science Blogs & Newsletters

I shared in the Journal of Science Policy and Governance (JSPG) blog what I learned from leaders in K-12 STEM education and what is being done by STEM professionals to increase access to quality STEM education to children and adolescents from all backgrounds.

At the pathways from K-12 to the STEM workforce webinar moderated by Thomas C. Tubon, Ph.D., three expert panelists shared their knowledge.

Natalie Kuldell emphasized the importance of universal access to quality educational resources and teacher empowerment. Society benefits in investing equitable resources and education for young learners.

Teshell Ponteen Greene, PhD discussed partnerships with large organizations and companies that have established outreach programs to connect with young, underrepresented talents. Alliances can be built and strengthened by creating opportunities to work with international partners to diversify teamwork in STEM fields.

According to Linnea Fletcher, students can benefit from applied STEM because they can see the authenticity of that work. To value acquired skill sets of young students through industry work, these work experiences should be counted toward college credits.

We can choose to see the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to improve STEM education delivery to students of all backgrounds. As a society, we can work with teachers, schools, industry leaders (locally, nationally, internationally), and STEM professionals through teamwork to identify gaps in education and policies and then to develop solutions to narrow those gaps.

Read what my colleagues wrote about higher education for a 21st century STEM workforce by Asya Spears, M.S. and about career, technical, and community college education for a robust STEM workforce by Ashley Orr.