STEM Ed Update 8/28/2017

Please enjoy this week's STEM Ed update.

Coalition Update:

STEM Education Coalition Featured in Scientia

On August 8, the STEM Education Coalition was featured by Scientia. The article outlines the Coalition's

mission and work to promote STEM as a top-level policy priority. You can read the full piece here.

Stay in the Know:

Latest STEM Education Policy News

Here's What States are Doing with their ESSA Block Grant Money

EdWeek

For decades, district leaders have been clamoring for more say over how they spend their federal money. And when the Every Student Succeeds Act passed back in 2015, it looked like they had finally gotten their wish: a brand-new $1.6 billion block grant that could be used for computer science initiatives, suicide prevention, new band instruments, and almost anything else that could improve students' well-being or provide them with a well-rounded education. Continue reading here.

A Lost Decade in Higher Education Funding State Cuts Have Driven Up Tuition and Reduced Quality

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

A decade since the Great Recession hit, state spending on public colleges and universities remains well below historic levels, despite recent increases. Overall state funding for public two- and four-year colleges in the 2017 school year (that is, the school year ending in 2017) was nearly $9 billion below its 2008 level, after adjusting for inflation. (See Figure 1.) The funding decline has contributed to higher tuition and reduced quality on campuses as colleges have had to balance budgets by reducing faculty, limiting course offerings, and in some cases closing campuses. At a time when the benefit of a college education has never been greater, state policymakers have made going to college less affordable and less accessible to the students most in need. Continue reading here.

Around the Community:

STEM and Wellness: A Powerful Equation for Ensuring Equality

Imagine the potential of empowering the 10.2 million children

in afterschool programs with science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) skills, while providing them with opportunities to eat healthy and stay active. Envision the thriving, diverse, and healthy workforce they could become, driving innovation, solving the world's greatest challenges, and contributing to our shared prosperity. The National Afterschool Association collaborated with three other leading national organizations: Afterschool Alliance, Alliance for a Healthier Generation, and National Girls Collaborative on creation of a new issue brief, STEM + Wellness = A Powerful Equation for Equity that shares the benefits of this approach, resources to support implementation, and a specific call to action. Read the brief here.

How the National Society of Black Engineers Hopes to Encourage Black Students to Pursue STEM

Blavity

Like LeBron James, Intel and many others, the National

Society of Black Engineers to diversify the scene of engineering and to provide boys and girls with an early introduction to STEM. They've recently launched a new initiative to do so, called the Summer Engineering Experience for Kids, also known as SEEK, a program that educates students of color about engineering and makes it fun. Read more here.

Washington STEM Releases Career Readiness Workshop Playbook

Developed by Washington STEM and Washington MESA, t his playbook offers a step-by-step guide for how to hold a successful Career Readiness Workshop targeting middle and high school students, as well as post-secondary students seeking STEM internships and employment. Included are example materials from an event hosted in January 2016 by Washington State MESA as well as templates and presentations for creating your own successful Career Readiness Workshop. Get the playbook here.

Join the Coalition!

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

Any organization may join the Coalition, and there is no cost to become an Affiliate Member. Affiliate members are listed on our website, receive periodic communications on policy matters, and will be signed up for the weekly newsletter.

Your organization can also apply to join the Coalition's Leadership Council, where they play an active role in setting the public policy agenda for the Coalition and are invited to participate in frequent interactions with policymakers.

If you would like to join the Coalition at any level, please read our message to prospective members or email us at [email protected].

We appreciate your continued support and involvement.

Our Coalition's Co-Chairs

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