Please enjoy this week's STEM Ed update. Please note, there will be no newsletter next week, August 14-18. 
Top Story:
Trump Signed the 'Forever GI Bill.' Here are 11 Things You Should Know
Military Times
President Trump has just put his signature on a new law that will bring significant changes to education benefits for service members, veterans and their families. The legislation known as the "Forever GI Bill" garnered strong bipartisan support in Congress, passing unanimously in both the  House  and  Senate "Today our commitment to support and care for th
e men and women who have served our great nation has been reinforced with the signing of the Harry W. Co
lmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017," Rep. Phil Roe, R-Tenn., chair of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, said in a statement. Read more about the law here. Read the STEM Education Coalition's statement on passage here.
Stay in the Know: 
Latest STEM Education Policy News
STEM in ESSA Plans: Early Analyses
STEM Education Coalition
Two education organizations have released early analyses of state education plans under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The reports focus on how states are utilizing new authorities under ESSA to prioritize STEM education in their plans. Read highlights and the full reports here.
Betsy DeVos Greenlights ESSA Plans for Connecticut, Louisiana
EdWeek
Add two more plans for the Every Student Succeeds Act to the "approved" pile: Connecticut and Louisiana. The states become the fifth and sixth to be approved by the U.S. Departm ent of Education.  Connecticut's plan was approved   even though it didn't make  some big changes that the fed s wanted to s ee, including when it comes to calculating student achievement and measuring the performance of English-language learners.  Instead of making the revisions the department suggested, Connecticut provided long explanations of why the state thought its approach was permissible under ESSA.  Read more here .
Building Tomorrow's Science and Technology Leaders with Arizona's Pioneering Chief Science Officer Program
Phoenix Business Journal
How important is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education in Arizona? Very important. It is the future of the state and we are fortunate enough to do more than recognize it. The  Arizona Commerce Authority  and  Arizona Technology Council  saw the need and created the SciTech Festival in 2011. This massive statewide event has grown and grown and brought the STEM community together. The SciTech Festival organizers then saw the need to develop a greater voice for students in STEM. This led to the creation of a new student leadership role, the  Chief   Science Officer  (CSO), who would be on par with the student council officers. Continue reading here.

Around the Community:
TI Spending $6.2 million to Support STEM Education Near its Offices
Texas Instruments and its namesake foundation have given $6.2 million this year to support science, technology, engineering and math education from kindergarten through 12th grade.
Most of the money - $5.3 million - will fund teacher recruitment, development and retention in areas where TI has facilities: North Texas, the San Francisco Bay area and South Portland, Maine.
"We are seeking to improve STEM education at its root by arming teachers with the tools they need to teach math and science more effectively," said  Andy Smith, director of corporate philanthropy and foundation executive director.  Read more TI's work  here
Middle School Student Gets Microsoft's Attention with His Letter About Math
As kids head back to school, Nevada student Ski Yi reminds us why math is powerful. His letter got Microsoft's attention, and the company's president, Brad Smith, paid a visit. Microsoft's support for math is part of the company's effort to encourage STEM education and help prepare students for tomorrow's jobs. See the video of their visit here.
Women in STEM Study.com Scholarship
A $500 award will be given to a female student pursuing any associate's or bachelor's degree program emphasizing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics). Women are historically underrepresented in STEM professions, and Study.com wishes to promote more interest and opportunity for women in these fields of study. Areas of study that will be considered include science, technology, engineering, mathematics, engineering technology, and computer science, among others. Read more about the scholarship  here
100Kin10 Needs Your Vote!

100Kin10 is up for a panel at SXSW EDU 2018 to speak about their work to map and tackle the grand challenges facing quality STEM education in America. In order to secure their spot, 100Kin10 needs your vote! Cast your vote here.


August STEM Magazine

View this month's edition here.
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We at the STEM Education Coalition hope you have enjoyed this week's edition of the STEM Ed Newsletter. 

 

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We appreciate your continued support and involvement. 
  

 

Our Coalition's Co-Chairs  

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STEM Education Coalition
info@stemedcoalition.org
2000 M Street NW
Suite 520
Washington, DC 20036
August 21, 2017
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