(Press-News.org) Washington, D.C. – The STEMM Opportunity Alliance (SOA), a national effort galvanizing stakeholders to achieve equity and excellence in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) by 2050, announced a milestone of more than 100 partners since its launch at the White House Summit on STEMM Equity and Excellence in December 2022.
Some highlights from SOA’s newest partners and their commitments include:
Johnson & Johnson will continue growing multiple projects that work to address the needs of young people seeking careers in STEMM and/or healthcare, especially from underrepresented populations.
Brown Girls Code has committed to launching five more academies in the areas of Math, Digital Arts, Entrepreneurship, Gaming and New Technologies to promote specialization for Black and Brown girls in its afterschool, hybrid, and virtual programs by 2025.
Oak Ridge Associated Universities is investing more funds into its Center for Next Generation Talent (CNGT), which is dedicated to enhancing diversity in the STEMM workforce through the formation of public-private partnerships. CNGT collaborates with partners on joint research projects, evaluates and assesses programs, and develops innovative learning environments and unconventional student recruitment strategies.
These diverse partners and projects demonstrate SOA’s breadth of collaborators as it convenes organizations from across sectors and scientific communities that will help advance a national strategy for achieving equity in STEMM by 2050.
As part of this effort, SOA hosted its second convening earlier this week at the New York Hall of Science. Companies like IBM, leaders in the education space like the NYC Department of Education, and community organizations like STEM From Dance convened in a rich discussion. Topics included K-12 educator preparation and diversification; access to evidence-based instruction and learning; supporting girls and women in STEMM; the role of industry, philanthropy, and community organizations in diversifying the STEMM ecosystem; and metrics for tracking progress toward equity.
Top funders, including SOA founding partner Doris Duke Foundation, are also convening at a roundtable hosted by the Simons Foundation to discuss how to effectively support equity in the national STEMM ecosystem.
“The STEMM Opportunity Alliance will continue to grow our partner network because achieving the systemic change needed to meet future demands and capitalize on historic commitments will require greater coordination, alignment, and shared learning than currently exists,” said Sudip Parikh, CEO of AAAS and executive publisher of the Science family of journals. “SOA has the power to work across sectors and geographies to facilitate national coordination and pursue STEMM equity on a national level like never before.”
With millions of dollars in new funding for key industries, like semiconductor manufacturing, coming into the state, New York State will require a STEMM ecosystem that can deliver the outstanding, diverse, inclusive, and equitable workforce to power our future.
“By reimagining our existing STEMM ecosystem, you’re opening the door to promising futures and the high earning potential that STEMM fields offer. We know the jobs of the future will require skills in coding, engineering, and technology,” said Governor Kathy Hochul in a video address to convening partners. “It starts with STEMM education. The key is focusing on introducing our students to great opportunities. This will ensure we have the talented workforce we need to continue our nation-leading work and ultimately drive economic growth and prosperity for generations to come.”
SOA partners have committed over $1.5 billion to initiatives and programs that address the five action areas set forth in the Biden Administration’s vision to transform and enhance the U.S. STEMM ecosystem. SOA’s latest partnership announcement comes at a time when the Biden Administration is embarking on bold new DEI in STEMM goals and when innovation and American leadership are front-and-center in policy debates.
Together, SOA partners are constructing a national strategy to achieve STEMM equity and excellence that is informed by stakeholders across sectors and includes robust, measurable, and ambitious goals that can serve as organizing principles for this work. More information about SOA’s plan to construct the national strategy can be found here.
SOA is planning a slew of upcoming events in May and beyond and will announce these soon.
SOA’s newest group of partners includes:
Building Engineering and Science Talent (BEST)
Brown Girls Code
Chicago Pre-College Science and Engineering Program (ChiS&E)
Creating Pathways and Access for Student Success (CPASS)
Education Development Center (EDC)
Girlstart
Illumina
Johnson & Johnson
National Science Policy Network
Oak Ridge Associated Universities
Regeneron
The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE)
Teaching Institute for Excellence in STEM (TIES)
Women in Revenue
A full list of partners and commitments can be found at https://stemmopportunity.org/partners.
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About the STEMM Opportunity Alliance | stemmopportunity.org
The STEMM Opportunity Alliance is a national effort by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), with the support of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (DDCF), dedicated to building a STEMM ecosystem rooted in equity, inclusion, and scientific excellence to power progress, innovation and prosperity for all by 2050. This effort brings together organizations and entities from across sectors and scientific communities that are committed to developing and advancing a national strategy for achieving shared goals for equity in STEMM.
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