Society for Science & the Public Selected to Strengthen National K-16 STEM Education and Outreach
$75M Department of Defense initiative will fund more than a dozen organizations
The U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD) recently-launched Defense STEM Education Consortium (DSEC) will strengthen kindergarten through college STEM education and outreach programs across the United States.
The DSEC initially includes 15 organizations led on behalf of the DoD STEM office by RTI International under the direction of Dr. Angela Quick. The multi-year, $75 million effort includes elements focused on STEM enrichment programs for students and educators, STEM workforce engagement, program evaluation and public outreach (www.dodstem.us).
“The U.S. needs a diverse pipeline of highly qualified STEM talent to meet future workforce demands and remain a global leader in technological innovation. Providing students with a strong K-16 STEM education is the first step,” said Quick, the DSEC consortium chair and director of RTI’s Center for Education Services. “We are thrilled to work with this group of partners to increase STEM engagement and improve outcomes for students pursuing STEM careers.”
Aligned to the DoD STEM strategic plan, DSEC will focus on five fundamentals: 1) longitudinal student engagement across the K-16 continuum, 2) outreach to students traditionally underrepresented in STEM professions, 3) military workforce engagement with a focus on DoD research laboratories, 4) use of the network’s collaboration structure to amplify the impact of each program, and 5) data-based improvement driven by evaluation.
As a part of DSEC, Society for Science & the Public will enhance our middle school programming by creating a new conference for middle school teachers; adding awards for our middle school STEM competition, the Broadcom MASTERS; and expanding the reach of our online news site, Science News for Students, to include more military impacted students and their schools.
“The Society for Science & the Public is thrilled to include our significant network in this important consortium, which is poised to impact the full STEM ecosystem across our nation,” said Maya Ajmera, President & CEO of the Society for Science & the Public and Publisher of Science News. “Middle school is a pivotal time for young people where additional STEM support can make an outsized impact on their future interest in STEM fields. Through DSEC, the Society will be able to further develop our middle school programming to reach this vital audience and further expand the STEM talent pipeline.”
The DSEC network includes the following organizations:
- American Institutes for Research (AIR)
- Building Engineering & Science Talent (BEST)
- Center for Excellence in Education (CEE)
- Dayton Regional STEM Center
- For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST)
- MATHCOUNTS
- Morgan State University, Center for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Education
- National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT)
- National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI)
- RTI International (RTI) – lead organization
- Society for Science & the Public (Society)
- Teaching Institute for Excellence in STEM (TIES)
- TGR Foundation, A Tiger Woods Charity
- University of California, San Diego, CREATE
- USA Science and Engineering Festival (USASEF)
For more information about Society for Science & the Public’s participation in DSEC, please contact Gayle Kansagor at 202-872-5103.
About Society for Science & the Public
Society for Science & the Public is dedicated to the achievement of young scientists in independent research and to public engagement in science. Established in 1921, the Society is a nonprofit whose vision is to promote the understanding and appreciation of science and the vital role it plays in human advancement. Through its world-class competitions, including the Regeneron Science Talent Search, the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, and the Broadcom MASTERS, and its award-winning magazine, Science News and Science News for Students, Society for Science & the Public is committed to inform, educate, and inspire. Learn more at www.societyforscience.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat (Society4Science).