CHALLENGING THE STATUS QUO continued
COOKING EGGS AND DEALS One thing led to another and by the time the eggs were ready, Schofield had hatched a plan. STEM2 Hub is paying for a package of ads with the television station and the station is reciprocating with the weekly stories.
SHARING CREDIT –WE ARE A TEAM Schofield is the face of the STEM2 Hub, but she emphasized that so many others deserve credit for this work. Every district leader, principal, and teacher who has opened the door to us, and become our partner deserves credit for the outcomes of this work. We all have a part to play and when, with passion for kids at the forefront, we bring our talents, access, and perspectives together, this is what can happen. And those from other organizations also play a role. She related the story of her meeting with Mitchel Resnick, Director of the Lifelong Kindergarten group at the MIT Media Lab in Massachusetts. “He reviewed our theory of change and logic model and gave me some input that I can’t even begin to tell you how valuable that is.” In addition to Resnick, Schofield says many others have been instrumental in STEM2 Hub’s success, including TIES and the STEM Learning Ecosystems Community of Practice, SLECoP. Specifically, she noted that Marc Siciliano, a partner of TIES, provided critical guidance for the establishment of the ecosystem, weaving in the importance of cross-sector collaboration, and placing emphasis on building the infrastructure to enable innovative programs and practices to flourish. She also said that serving as part of the SLECoP has enabled STEM2 Hub to learn and model best practices while also sharing some of their own work. Schofield, however, said Chartrand and his original vision and passion have always served as the most powerful driving force. “Gary is a visionary leader, and the most caring person I have ever met. He inspires me every day to do more, as we have so much work left to do. One of the things that sets our ecosystem apart is the fact that we have Gary Chartrand, who knows education from his service on the board of education for the state for eight years. And he knows how to build a corporation,” she said. “I can’t even speak to the power of the corporations coming together to support this work and grow our talent. I work with the goal of bringing Gary’s vision to life. He has inspired me, and I will forever be thankful for the opportunity to build this plan and be his hands to lead this work.” “ONE OF THE THINGS THAT SETS OUR ECOSYSTEM APART IS THE FACT THATWE HAVE GARY CHARTRAND, WHO KNOWS EDUCATION FROM HIS SERVICE ON THE BOARD OF EDUCATION FOR THE STATE FOR EIGHT YEARS. AND HE KNOWS HOWTO BUILD A CORPORATION.” - Kathleen Schofield
View one of the public service announcements here.
Schofield explained why this partnership and the TV exposure is critical: Parental Engagement - Parents will see these spots and connect with the children they see. We will be varying the kids who are featured to represent all age groups andmindful to include underrepresented populations. There is a deliberate call to action: “Ask your school about STEM education” Community Engagement - When our community members see these spots, we want them to ask, “How can I help?” “How can I get involved?” Economic Development - We think that this clearly paints the picture that NE FL cares about STEM education and the development of the talent pipeline. https://www. facebook.com/NEFLSTEM2hub/videos/2243448975702093/ BASIC OPERATING PRACTICES While bringing strong public attention to issues and lobbying legislators, STEM2 Hub has also adhered to basic operating practices and ideas: • The economics of STEM education must be recognized with an understanding that success in building a STEM Citizenry will bring economic vitality and fulfill communities’ hopes to “grow their own”; • The STEM workforce must adapt to include new team members and new training that recognizes and acts upon the principle of promoting equity of access to STEM learning and careers; • Transformative efforts are needed to promote STEM careers with the expansion and development of pipeline programs for STEM, including those that are collected to in-school courses and activities; • Technology is ushering in new and different opportunities for the next generation of workers and innovators; • Training to establish student cohorts bound for the STEM professions in learning communities will promote college-bound STEM students; • Community members must become active supporters and learners in this new STEM world.
CHALLENGING THE STATUS QUO
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