Events
PSSE Leadership Team Meets to Set Goals for 2022 - 2023
Members of the Pennsylvania Statewide STEM Ecosystem (PSSE) met this August for a two-day leadership retreat. Working with Jason Swanson of Knowledgeworks, the team had fruitful discussions regarding implications of their work across the state. In the spring, PSSE was awarded a PA Smart Advancing Grant to accelerate the work of their mission to facilitate stakeholder convenings, amplify STEM resources, draft policy recommendations and steward a community of practice to advance equitable access and inclusion in quality STEM education and workforce development in partnership with the PA Department of Education.
One of the main topics of conversation at this retreat was strategies and approaches for how the ecosystems can engage in outreach and recruitment. Our work as individual regional ecosystem leaders provided context and experience. In addition, we concluded that we should seek to clarify and continually revisit the value proposition(s) for joining PSSE.
Another main topic of conversation was programming for the upcoming year. As PSSE, the group facilitates stakeholder convenings in the form of regular online meetings with stakeholders. These convenings are a way for PSSE to continually highlight great work that is being done across the Commonwealth. PSSE will continue to offer this program for the 2022-2023 academic year.
The PSSE Leadership team is thrilled to continue to include NEPA STEM Ecosystem as a part of its team.
Thank you to Our Community Partners for their support for our Celebration of STEM in Industry!
Theresa Micknick, Physician Assistant
View our Map and Calendar below to see what events you missed!
NEPA STEM Ecosystem Presents: A Celebration of STEM in Industry
In an effort to expose students, teachers and families to what careers are possible in STEM in Northeastern Pennsylvania, the NEPA STEM Ecosystem is organizing a series of events to celebrate STEM in Industry during the week of November 6 to November 14, 2021. STEM stakeholders in business and industry, nonprofits and educational institutions will host a variety of events and learning opportunities surrounding the wide and varied ways that STEM interacts with local Industry in Northeastern Pennsylvania. This week aligns to the National Day of STEM and there was a desire among our partners to recognize and elevate different industries in our region. The main goal for our ecosystem is to keep the talented young people we are raising in this region employed in really great STEM jobs close to home.
Through this weeklong celebration, students, teachers and families will be able to engage in a variety of experiences that highlight the available careers in our region, and best of all, it’s all free.
The marking of the National Day of STEM is common for STEM Ecosystems and other organizations who support STEM jobs in-demand. Highlights of this celebration include Chesapeake Bay Foundation Family Friendly Environmental Education Experiences, a whole season of Industry Partner Podcast episodes in partnership with BLaST Intermediate Unit 17, PreSchool STEM Play Marshmallow Construction Session, various student and family programs with the Susquehanna, Wayne and Lackawanna Library systems and a kickoff event: the SWB RailRiders Hackathon at PNC Stadium. All have been coordinated by various stakeholders involved in the NEPA STEM Ecosystem.
Pennsylvania has been growing a movement called the STEM Ecosystem. The PA Department of Education actively encourages STEM stakeholders across the Commonwealth to organize and develop regional communities of practice where a variety of STEM stakeholders mobilize around worthwhile causes to build and sustain the STEM talent pipeline in the state. The hope is our efforts here help to keep talented young people interested in STEM careers employed right here in PA.
BLaST Intermediate Unit 17 is also getting in on the action by co-hosting a Podcast series of interviews with regional Industry partners in both the IU 17 region and the NEPA STEM Ecosystem region. “We are excited to partner with NEPA STEM Ecosystem. It is important for our students to see the correlation between their learning and their future careers. Any chance we get to bring community partners, educators, and students together, is an opportunity to make learning relevant for our students,” says Rebecca Gibboney, Coordinator of Professional Learning at BLaST IU 17. “BLaST IU 17 will also be partnering with local districts and StartSOLE to host SOLE Slams, an inquiry-based event bringing together community partners and students.”
NEPA STEM Ecosystem is made up of a variety of STEM stakeholders including schools, universities, community foundations, nonprofits, museums, business/industry partners, etc. All unite as a regional community of practice around STEM with a desire to provide STEM experiences to the community they serve. These partners have been super excited to collaborate with each other and plan a variety of events. We are hoping to make this an annual celebration each fall.
We'd like to thank the following organizations for hosting and supporting events during our Celebration: Abington Community Library, Valley Community Library, North Pocono Public Library, Montrose Public Library, James V. Brown Public Library, the Cooperage Project, Wayne County Community Foundation, Gentex Corporation, General Dynamics Land Systems, the SWB Railriders, WVIA Studios, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, NEIU 19 and BLaST IU 17.
If you live or work in Susquehanna, Lackawanna, Wayne, Wyoming or Pike counties and want
to become a part of NEPA STEM Ecosystem, please email them at stemnepa@gmail.com.
To publish a regional STEM event, please email stemnepa@gmail.com
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