Host a Community STEM Event
WHY STEM COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT?
In order to build a sustainable STEM education program where you live, the entire community must have an opportunity to participate. GEN READY encourages your organization to host a community STEM engagement meeting to design creative "local" solutions for increasing STEM interest and achievement. Strong STEM community features collaborations among schools, out-of-school time programs, STEM expert institutions (such as museums, science centers, institutions of higher education and STEM professional associations), the private sector, community-based organizations, youth and families. This design provides a roadmap for cross-sector learning - offering MORE young people access to STEM-rich learning environments throughout PK-16.
Find an opportunity to your community to gather a diverse group of community members to plan, design, and create innovative changes in how we teach and learn. After all, education is everyone's responsibility.
A suggested process:
- Listen
- Work with community to learn where needs and interests align
- Identify
- Build from existing strengths & partners to fill gaps
- Collaborate
- Apply best practices to strategically plan opportunities
- Communicate
- Share opportunities, resources and results with community
GEN READY Guiding Principles:
- Community–wide empowerment with common vision & resources
- Accessibility to relevant, project-based STEM learning for ALL students
- Ongoing professional development, support & resources for traditional educators and out-of-school time providers
- STEM learning reinforced inside /outside of school
- Shared communication of opportunities and measurement of outcomes
- Workforce aligned and user-friendly career pathways
- Business & industry engaged in multiple, meaningful ways
