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Grant Program Reaches 3,000 Students
The Foundation’s STEM Like ME!® Innovation Grants provide enterprising educators with funds to support STEM-related, career connected programming and volunteer engagement in the classroom.
For the 2023-24 school year, nineteen grants, the most ever, were awarded to teachers in the Richland, Pasco, Kennewick, Columbia and Kiona-Benton City school districts. In activities as diverse and creative as the educators who designed them, 3,000 area students participated in enriched learning experiences structured to fuel their interest in STEM careers. Here is a sampling of their activities:
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Jefferson Elementary (Richland) students explored careers in engineering and ecology while learning about Wanapum culture and history during a trip to the Wanapum Dam visitor center and the Wanapum Heritage Center.
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Students at Rosalind Franklin STEM Elementary, Three Rivers Elementary and PIXeL Virtual Academy (Pasco) programmed robotic systems as part of a coding and computing project.
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Mid-Columbia Partnership (Kennewick) students explored drafting, 3-D modeling, design and physics as they produced and then raced 3-D printed dragsters.
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Columbia-Burbank Elementary students constructed a functional windmill and electric wind turbine as part of their project studying wind energy, then shared their knowledge with other students in a science fair.
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Students from Kiona-Benton City Elementary visited the Reach Museum to learn more about local ecology and history.
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Three Rivers Home Link (Richland) students studied tropical coral reef restoration using a saltwater aquarium and related equipment.
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Ellen Ochoa Middle School and Chiawana High School students (Pasco) explored drone technology in separate projects.
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Jason Lee Elementary (Richland) students learned about ground-breaking research conducted at the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO).
Engaging working professionals in classroom or extra-curricular activities such as those funded by the STEM Like ME!® Innovation Grants is invaluable in providing students with hope and dreams of what life could be like as a successful adult in the workplace.
Applications for the 2024-25 school year grants will be available again this fall. Interested teachers should check with their school administration.
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Apprenticeship Building America (ABA): Round 3 Award Announcement | | |
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Congratulations to Walla Walla Public Schools for being selected as a Career Connect Washington (CCW) ABA Round 3 grantee. Funds will build and scale a new registered apprenticeship for Production Technicians in the Advanced Manufacturing Sector at SEATech Skills Center.
12 ABA grants to build and scale apprenticeships were awarded statewide, including seven recognized pre-apprenticeships and five registered apprenticeships. The complete list of awardees is available here.
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Round 13 of CCW Program Builder Funding Now Open | |
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On behalf of CCW, the Washington State Employment Security Department (ESD) is conducting a Round 13 Request for Proposals (RFP) for CCW Program Builder Funding.
The Program Builder is seeking proposals from highly qualified entities capable of building or expanding Career Launch, Career Prep, and Career Explore programs to develop industry-aligned programs for Career Connected Learning (CCL) opportunities in targeted counties and industry sectors.
The program's vision is that every young adult in Washington will have multiple pathways toward economic self-sufficiency and fulfillment, strengthened by a comprehensive state-wide system for career connected learning. Women- and BIPOC-led organizations and organizations specifically serving young people of color and people with lived experience in historically marginalized communities are strongly encouraged to apply.
Proposals are due October 16, 2024, by 5:00 PM and first announcement of successful bidders will be November 15, 2024.
Eligible Applicants:
Entities interested in performing the role of Program Builder and working with Regional Networks, Career Connected Learning Coordinators at the Educational Service Districts, and industry and education partners to expand the use of current curricula or develop new curricula for Career Launch, Career Prep, or Career Explore programs.
Funding:
$4,000,000 of the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Statewide Activities funds will be made available. ESD target award amounts for each grant is $100,000 – $175,000. No single award will exceed $250,000.
Period of Performance:
Estimated at 20 months, February 2025 through September 2026.
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To read the region's new career connected learning expansion strategy, click here. | |  |
To receive technical support in applying for local CCW Career Launch endorsement or funding, click here. | |
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Career Connected Learning and Data Resources
CCW Career Connected Learning Directory: A statewide tool that connects young people to Career Explore, Career Prep, and Career Launch programs available in their communities. It also provides direct links to community-based support services to help remove barriers to participation in career connected learning.
CareerExploreNW: A community tool designed to guide people toward a job or career as well as help the region's employers create a talent pipeline. Watch interviews with local professionals who are currently working in an industry or take a virtual tour inside local companies.
Washington Workforce Portal: A free, searchable database of available internships and work-based learning opportunities in Washington. Students can create a free account, upload their resume, and immediately start searching and applying! Employers can post internships, apprenticeships, job shadowing and mentorship opportunities.
Building Trades Apprenticeship: A resource for students, parents, educators and others
interested in learning about career connected learning and apprenticeships in the building
trades.
Washington Career Bridge: The popular, public-facing career and education portal created and managed by the Workforce Board also features new videos on hundreds of careers, courtesy of the U.S. Department of Labor. Take the career quiz. Then catch a video and see if a new career might be right for you.
Manufacturing in the Classroom: The Association of Washington Business (AWB) Institute has published an array of resources that are aimed at supporting career pathways in manufacturing and better connecting classrooms to employers.
WSU Workforce Training Scholarships: WSU Tri-Cities has partnered with the Cities of Pasco and Richland and Visit Tri-Cities to offer scholarships for workforce training and certificates through their Workforce Training Opportunities.
STEM by the Numbers: Washington STEM's report series offers both statewide and region-by-region analyses of the need for STEM talent and opportunities. The data helps create a through-line from classroom to career for Washington students.
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Oct 2 - WSU Tri-Cities Open House 4:30 - 6:00 PM
WSU Tri-Cities is hosting a ribbon cutting and open house at their new building for the Institute for Northwest Energy Futures, located at 2892 Pauling Avenue in Richland.
Learn More/Register
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Oct 22 - WSU Tri-Cities Career and Internship Fair
WSU Tri-Cities is looking for businesses to host recruiting booths at their career and internship fair on October 22. Businesses must be register for their booth by October 1.
Learn More/Register
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Dec 1 - 2025-26 FAFSA/WASFA Applications Open
The Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) announced that the 2025-26 FAFSA/WASFA will open on December 1.
Learn More/Register
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Congratulations to Natalie Hartley, Kiona-Benton City High School, for being selected as the 2024 STEM Rising Star for the Mid-Columbia Network! Natalie is a 4.0 student who is committed to working in the medical field. As a freshman last year, Natalie was already touring campuses and applying for scholarships. She is an active member of the Biomed club at her school. Natalie was born in the Philippines and moved with her family to the U.S. later in her life. She embraces her unique journey; it shapes the strength and resilience within her and is a beacon of inspiration, guiding her to thrive and succeed.
Natalie will be recognized at an award ceremony, held in conjunction with the annual STEM Summit in November, at the Microsoft Bellevue Campus.
The Rising Star Awards highlight young women whose accomplishments are inspirational for the people who nominate them, with the hope that honoring them will inspire more girls to reach for the stars and embrace STEM! To learn more about the Washington STEM Rising Star Award and to see all the 2024 winners, click here.
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Tri-Cities Champion of Diversity Awardee | |
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Congratulations to Evangelina Shreeve, recipient of the 2024 Tri-Cities Champion of Diversity Award (Individual).
As the Chief Diversity Officer and Director for STEM Education, Evangelina leads Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility (DEIA) and STEM workforce development strategies. Evangelina is guiding the development of educational programs and partnerships to strategically create pathways for historically underrepresented groups in STEM fields, to build the future diverse workforce for U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
The Tri-Cities Champion of Diversity Awards aim to recognize and commend an individual that has demonstrated outstanding achievements and sustained commitment to the pursuit of diversity and inclusion in the community and workplace. The STEM Foundation was honored to nominate Evangelina for this well-deserved award.
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Mid-Columbia STEM Nexus Initiative Funding Impacts Local Students
Paxton Patterson College & Career Ready labs provide a middle-school opportunity that encourages students to explore different pathways while building on 21st Century skills such as critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving. Students rotate through a series of modules where they engage in authentic problem-based learning experiences as they discover their interests and aptitudes, along with pathway information to high-school programs and post-secondary success.
Through a match funding opportunity, the STEM Nexus Initiative partnered with Kiona-Benton City School District to integrate the comprehensive career exploration lab units into their middle-school CTE curriculum, providing students exposure into diverse professions. The introduction of 10 exploration lab units in the 2024-2025 school year will provide career introductions into high-demand sectors in our region, including energy, engineering, health science, personal finance, criminalistics, design & marketing, occupational health, hospitality & tourism, and employability skills.
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STEM Like ME!® is a suite of school-based programs, teacher grants, and professional development opportunities that broadens students’ awareness and perceptions of STEM careers and the coursework and skills necessary to pursue them.
Created and led by The STEM Foundation, STEM Like ME!® programs have inspired more than 37,000 students across Washington.
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Every day professionals make a profound impact, sharing their unique journey and expertise. STEM Like ME!® volunteers become role models, showing students they too can make an impact. Take a moment to view our new STEM Like ME!® video to see how footprints of tomorrow are the steps we take today. | |
STEM Like ME!® Empower Student Summit | |
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The 3rd Annual STEM Like ME!® Empower Student Summit will be held at Columbia Basin College (CBC) on October 18, 2024.
Working in small groups, led by CBC student mentors and STEM professionals, students visit CBC labs and classrooms and engage in hands-on activities, while learning about career pathways to high-demand, high-wage jobs in our region and beyond.
Students will also hear from a panel of CBC MESA students who share obstacles they had to overcome to attend college, what they wish they knew while still in high school, and what they love about their college experience.
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If you are interested in learning more about STEM Like ME!® programs, including hosting or volunteering during the 2024-2025 school year, please email Heather Tibbett, Deputy Director, The STEM Foundation. | |
The STEM Foundation
Dana Munn, Newsletter Editor
P.O. Box 1617
Richland, WA 99352
Phone: 509.420.9316
WashingtonSTEMeducation.org
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