The Pennsylvania STEM Initiative is a statewide partnership dedicated to preparing the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for global competitiveness through a statewide strategy of enhanced science, technology engineering and mathematics education and career development opportunities for Pennsylvania students and communities. This strategy is executed by the statewide STEM Initiative in cooperation with five regional STEM Networks across Pennsylvania.
Goals of the PA STEM Initiative
1. Increase the number and diversity of Pennsylvania’s students, residents and workers with high quality post-secondary STEM education and training.
2. Ensure that all graduates from Pennsylvania’s high schools meet or exceed proficiency in STEM content areas.
3. Diversify and increase the number of Pennsylvania teachers who are well prepared and highly-effective in providing STEM education.
4. Increase awareness of and commitment to STEM education as a priority for Pennsylvania.
See the Pennsylvania STEM Initiative website for more information
The PA STEM Initiative began in 2007. In 2008, five regions were established to deploy the outcomes of the initiative, initially disseminating information about STEM and PA STEM Initiative programs, recruiting STEM champions who would also sign a regional STEM compact, facilitating participation in regional STEM asset mapping, supporting the development of a regional economic gap analysis, and developing a regional strategic plan.
Central PA STEM Region
The Central PA STEM Initiative is coordinated through the Saint Francis University Science Outreach Center. The Central PA STEM Region consists of 32 counties, 178 public school districts, 9 intermediate units, 5 workforce investment boards, and approximately 90 institutions of higher education. In order to disseminate information and facilitate regional collaboration, the region is divided into four “sub-regions,” Southern Alleghenies, South Central/Lancaster, Central, and North Central/Northern Tier.
Central PA STEM Compact
STEM champions have been identified throughout the STEM Region and have indicated their interest in helping advance the goals of the PA STEM Initiative by signing the Central PA STEM Compact.
To date, 91 Central PA STEM Regional compacts have been signed. Compact signatories represent 10 business and industry stakeholders; 15 government, non-profit organization, workforce development, and economic development agency stakeholders; 19 higher education stakeholders, 47 K-12 education stakeholders.
STEM Partners
| Altoona Area School District | Appalachia Intermediate Unit 8 | Bald Eagle Area School District |
| Bedford Area School District | Big Spring School District | Bishop Carroll High School |
| Bloomsburg University | Brockway Area School District | Bureau of Career and Technology Education |
| Cambria Cogen | Central Intermediate Unit 10 | Central Pennsylvania Workforce Development Corporation |
| Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit 16 | Chambersburg Area School District | Community Education Coucil of Elk and Cameron Counties |
| Cumberland Valley High School | Curwensville Area High School | Dallastown Area School District |
| Elizabethtown Area School District | Gettysburg College | Goodwill Industries of the Conemaugh Valley |
| HACC, Central Pennsylvania's Community College | Hershey Center for Applied Research | ITSI Biosciences |
| JP McCaskey High School | Juniata College | Lampire Biological Labs |
| Lancaster County Career & Technology Center | Lancaster County Workforce Investment Board | Lancaster General College of Nursing & Health Science |
| Lancaster School District | Lancaster-Lebanon Science & Technology Alliance | Learning Disabilities Association of Lancaster County |
| Lewisburg Area School District | Lincoln Intermediate Unit 12 | Manheim Township School District |
| Mansfield University | Mantec | Milton Area School District |
| Mission Critical Solutions, LLC | Montgomery Area School District | Mountoursville Area School District |
| Mount Aloysius College | MTS Technologies, Inc | North Museum of Natural History and Science |
| Northern Cambria School District | Northern Central Workforce Investment Board | Northern Potter School District |
| PA Department of Education | PA System of Higher Education | Penn Cambria School District |
| Penn Manor High School | Penn State University | Penn State University, The Lancaster Center |
| Penn State University, DuBois | Pennsylvania College of Technology | Pennsylania Highlands Community College |
| PICCC, Inc | Southern Alleghenies Planning & Development Commission | Spring Grove School District |
| State College Area School District | Steelton-Highspire School District | Susquehanna University Science in Motion |
| The Performance Group | Turkey Hill Dairy | Tuscarora Intermediate Unit 11 |
| Tyco Electronics | United High School | University of Pittsburgh at Bradford |
| University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown | Wellsboro Area School District | Windber Area High School |
| Workforce Investment Youth Council | | |
Central PA STEM Asset Mapping
There are currently 197 STEM programs listed in the asset map database for the Central PA STEM Region, including assets such as individual STEM-related organizations, programs of study at institutions of higher education, adult training programs, outreach programs, and workforce development partnerships. Please see http://www.pasteminitiative.org/resources/directory.cfm for more information.
Central PA STEM Economic Gap Analysis
A regional Gap Analysis conducted by EMSI (Economic Modeling Specialists, Inc.) was developed in spring of 2009. To gain further insight into the characteristics of each sub-region within the Central PA STEM region, Lancaster County Workforce Investment Board and Central PA Workforce Development Corporation have conducted a more detailed analysis, including a more inclusive set of STEM occupations. The executive summaries for the sub-regional gap analysis are currently being developed and will be distributed to stakeholders in the near future.
Central PA STEM Strategic Priorities
Regional priorities were identified through two mechanisms: a regional survey of compact signatories as well as a regional strategic planning meeting. Based on the information gathered from those events, the following have been identified as priorities for the Central PA STEM Region:
Consistent Themes:
· Emphasize collaboration, less replication
· Develop consistent communication, simple message for each audience
· Utilize communication networks and resources that are already in place to disseminate information
· Develop a mechanism to facilitate making resources available to those who use them (in conjunction with asset map)
· Produce substantive programs and resources
Top Strategic Priorities:
· Among Commonwealth’s STEM Initiative long-term goals: K-12 STEM proficiency for students.
· Among K-12 STEM curricular goals: Interdisciplinary, project-based STEM curriculum.
· Among K-12 STEM education, business, or university partnership priorities: Real world STEM project-based curriculum in collaboration with businesses and universities.
· Among activities for effectively preparing students for STEM careers:
o Inquiry-based activities (develop critical thinking, curiosity)
o Career awareness (what are the jobs and what is necessary for success in these careers)
o Activities to improve students’ ability to collect and analyze data
· Among STEM workforce priorities: Mechanisms for industries and workforce organizations for providing input into STEM preparation educational programs at the K-16 level.
In addition to regional strategic priorities, key communication messages have been gathered for K-12 students, post-secondary students, parents, educators and business/industry.
Proposed Collaboration with Math and Science Partnership Programs in the Central PA STEM Region
There are many opportunities for collaboration between the Central PA STEM Initiative and regional Math Science Partnership projects. The opportunities for collaboration would capitalize on the common goals of the PA STEM Initiative and regional strategic priorities, the goals of the MSP program, and would build on the momentum that has been built through the development of the of the Central PA STEM network.
Assuming multiple Central PA MSP programs, activities to support the MSP projects that would be facilitated by the Central PA STEM Region include:
· Central PA STEM/Math Science Partnership Website, which would serve as:
o Open source library with STEM, math, science, and teaching educational resources
o Discussion forum to enable discussion of successes and challenges from teachers, administrators, college and university personnel, IU personnel, and MSP
project advisory boards.
o Clearinghouse of upcoming events, such as professional development summer institutes and workshops, meetings, and other activities associated with MSP
projects
o Disseminate results of MSP projects
· Central PA STEM/Math Science Partnership Conference, held annually during the duration of the three years of the MSP projects, which would provide:
o Culminating experience to be held in a centralized venue for multiple MSP projects within the region for teachers, administrators, and personnel from colleges and
universities and Intermediate Units.
o Opportunities for presentations, resource sharing, and collaboration
o Presentations from well-known leaders in STEM education
o Disseminate results of MSP projects
· Collaboration with Central PA STEM Initiative
o Consulting with MSP projects on STEM education, career awareness, recommendations for professional development, evaluation, and planning of MSP-related
activities (to be carried out on a quarterly basis)
· Facilitation of advisory committees
o Facilitating the development of advisory committees for MSP projects in the Central PA STEM Region by communicating with regional compact signatories and
connecting community leaders with MSP project leaders.