SILVER SPRING, Md. – The STEM Careers Coalition – the first-of-its-kind national STEM initiative powered by corporate leaders and anchored in schools by Discovery Education – invites educators, students, and communities to celebrate Black leaders in STEM year-round with the launch of dynamic careers content and a series of virtual educator events. The array of new on-demand resources leverages the power of digital content to connect all learners to their innate curiosity by bringing real-world STEM to life in the classroom. Discovery Education is the global leader in standards-aligned digital curriculum resources, engaging content, and professional learning for K-12 classrooms worldwide.
Connecting the dots between classrooms and careers, the STEM Careers Coalition presents a robust array of career profiles introducing students to leaders in dynamic industries and job roles – like Boeing aircraft maintenance technician Brandon James, engineering project manager Antoine Sande from American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Microsoft program manager Wadood Daoud, drilling engineer Jesica Holley at Chevron, and senior policy advisor Uni Blake from American Petroleum Institute – and shows how students can use their STEM skills to make a difference in the world. Each career profile video is accompanied by fun activities that help students gain a deeper understanding of the world of work, helping them see themselves as the next generation of STEM leaders. Learn more here.
Discovery Education is supporting the launch of this new content with two exclusive virtual events spotlighting the importance and value of diversity in STEM:
Celebrating Black Leaders in STEM: Resource Tour
Tuesday, February 16th at 6 p.m. EST
Join a professional learning session led by Dr. Robert Corbin to learn how to integrate the new collection of STEM careers content spotlighting Black leaders into lessons. During the session, dive into the over 200 resources designed to uncover students’ STEM skills to activate future solution seekers while also exploring the many benefits of diversity in STEM. This exciting content includes resources ranging from hands-on student activations and lessons to the extensive database of career profiles and family activities. Additional details and registration information can be found here.
Designing the Future for Black Engineers: Diversity in STEM Discussion
Tuesday, February 23rd at 2 p.m. EST
Join the STEM Careers Coalition for the February edition of Diversity in STEM Discussions, a quarterly thought leadership series designed to bring leaders of industry together with district-level and classroom educators to engage in an honest and thought-provoking dialogue around the building of a magnificently diverse STEM workforce. Hear from key STEM education stakeholders and equity warriors as they discuss breaking down barriers and establishing concrete ways to foster equitable opportunities for the next generation of black engineers in leadership. Additional details and registration information can be found here.
“With the STEM Careers Coalition resources and professional learning opportunities, my students get to meet diverse leaders in STEM. The student’s faces say it all: they see themselves in these leaders and know that they, too, can be STEM leaders,” said Michele Hutson, a 2nd Grade Teacher in the Santa Rosa County School District of Florida.
Members of the STEM Careers Coalition are united by the common goals of empowering educators to teach STEM effectively in the classroom, fostering and promoting quality education, and building the next generation of STEM solution-seekers with intentional focus on racial and gender equity. Representing a range of industry sectors, the STEM Careers Coalition seeks to prepare 10 million students for the future of work by 2025 by providing equitable access to digital content and experiences that engage students in instruction, build foundational STEM knowledge, and develop the critical skills students need for college and career success. To view the complete list of STEM Career Coalition partners, visit the partnership webpage here.
In addition to the Coalition’s national work, members also engage in regional approaches to workforce development and support students’ explorations in STEM. STEM Career Coalition partners underwrite critical academic and career content available through the award-winning, flexible K-12 learning platform and STEM Connect, an interdisciplinary K-8 resource blending dynamic digital content with ready-to-use lessons and hands-on activities to enhance core curriculum.
“Black History Month offers a wonderful opportunity to continue exploring the many remarkable people, events, and accomplishments that shaped our nation. The STEM Careers Coalition helps bring new dimensions to powerful milestones by connecting students to Black professionals leading STEM innovation,” said Marla Wilson, Executive Director of the STEM Careers Coalition. “These leaders, and the resources and events from the Coalition, help students see the STEM in them, by providing all students equitable access to STEM education.”
Learn more about STEM Careers Coalition here and find out how your organization can support the work of the STEM Careers Coalition. All resources are available at no-cost at stemcareerscoalition.org, and through Discovery Education’s K-12 learning platform on the STEM Careers channel.
For more information about Discovery Education’s digital resources and professional learning services, visit www.discoveryeducation.com, and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through Twitter and LinkedIn.