SILVER SPRING, MD (Thursday, November 19, 2020) – The STEM Careers Coalition – the first-of-its-kind national STEM initiative powered by corporate leaders and anchored in schools by Discovery Education – marks its first anniversary by welcoming new members to the growing coalition and by offering educators, students, and families nationwide access to a host of new, no-cost digital resources. The array of dynamic resources leverages the power of digital content to connect all learners to their innate curiosity by bringing STEM to life.
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. Among the new organizations supporting the Coalition’s mission are:
- Caterpillar Foundation: Seeking to build resilient communities by investing in the skills people need to join the modern workforce, the Caterpillar Foundation is playing a key role in supporting the Coalition’s in-school resources, helping to expand its after-school resources, and collaborating to evaluate the overall impact in select markets.
- AES Corporation: Committed to advancing student interest in careers within the renewable energy fields, AES is providing the Coalition resources to educate and inform school communities about future workforce opportunities and support the continued academic achievement of the youth in their communities.
- Arconic Foundation: A longtime Discovery Education partner, the Arconic Foundation joined the STEM Careers Coalition to continue connecting manufacturing careers with local communities through STEM education. With a wealth of careers content in advanced manufacturing, Arconic helps inspire a love of STEM in new, and lesser-known, pathways.
- The IF/THEN Initiative, supported by Lyda Hill Philanthropies: Focusing on significantly impacting the lives of young girls and women interested in pursuing careers in STEM, the IF/THEN Initiative joined the STEM Careers Coalition to leverage the organization’s national platform to share the stories of powerful women in the STEM field.
To view the entire list of STEM Career Coalition partners, visit the partnership webpage here.
All partners contribute careers content, expertise, and insight for the high-quality resources offered by the STEM Careers Coalition. Among the new resources available to educators, students, and families are a robust series of Career Exploration resources. Sourced from industry leaders like API, Boeing, Chevron, Procter & Gamble, ASME, and Microsoft, as well as content contributors Sanofi and GAF, these resources enable communities to connect students to the real world of STEM careers.
The STEM Careers Coalition also offers the innovative COVID-19 Solution Seekers video series. This engaging series spotlights how non-profits, corporations, and industries have pivoted to meet the needs of communities presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, a series of Classroom Activities resources further support educators’ efforts to integrate STEM teaching and learning into instruction with ready-made activities featuring step-by-step guides designed for wherever learning takes place.
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 Discovery Education Experience 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. Discovery Education is the global leader in standards-aligned digital curriculum resources and professional learning for K-12 classrooms.
“As a member of the STEM Careers Coalition, we are working to help build a systemic ecosystem to address the STEM skills gap globally,” said Asha Varghese, Caterpillar Foundation President. “In addition, by connecting to like-minded organizations across the country, we are helping build a stronger pipeline of STEM solution seekers ready to take their place in the workforce of tomorrow.”
“AES is committed to developing the next generation of energy workers as a means to accelerate the clean energy future, equal opportunity, and a better quality of life for all,” said Tish Mendoza, Chief Human Resources Officer at The AES Corporation. “We are proud to work with our communities on education and capacity building, as well as the development of a talented, diverse and innovative clean energy workforce. We look forward to working with the STEM Career Coalition and Discovery Education to increase access to quality educational opportunities in science, engineering, and technology.”
All resources are available at no cost at stemcareerscoalition.org, and through Discovery Education Experience. The all-new STEM Careers channel featuring content highlighting a wide range of fascinating STEM careers including a variety of resources like career profiles, student activations, challenges, classroom activities, virtual field trips, and more. Discovery Education Experience users can visit the STEM Careers Channel here.
“Thanks to the support of the STEM Career Coalition’s diverse partners, students across the United States meet STEM through engaging, real-world experiences designed to unlock industries and personal potential,” said Marla Wilson, Executive Director of the STEM Careers Coalition. “We are at the forefront of providing all students equitable access to STEM education and ensuring that zip codes do not define destiny.”
Learn more about STEM Careers Coalition here or visit this website to learn how your business can support the work of the STEM Careers Coalition.
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.
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About STEM Careers Coalition
A coalition of industry partners are joining forces with Discovery Education to impact the culture of STEM education in K – 12 schools nationwide. The all-new STEM Careers Coalition’s™ mission is to empower educators to teach STEM effectively in the classroom, foster equity and access to quality education, and build the next generation of solution-seekers.
About AES
The AES Corporation (NYSE: AES) is a Fortune 500 global power company accelerating the future of energy. Together with our many stakeholders, we’re improving lives by delivering the greener, smarter energy solutions the world needs. Our diverse workforce is committed to continuous innovation and operational excellence, while partnering with our customers on their strategic energy transitions and continuing to meet their energy needs today.
About Caterpillar Foundation
Founded in 1952, Caterpillar’s philanthropic organization, the Caterpillar Foundation, has contributed about $770 million to help make sustainable progress possible around the world by building resilient communities that thrive in a rapidly changing world. To learn more about the global impact of the Caterpillar Foundation, visit caterpillar.com/foundation. To connect with us on social media, visit caterpillar.com/social-media.
About Lyda Hill Philanthropies’ If/Then
IF/THEN®, an extension of Lyda Hill Philanthropies’ commitment to fund game-changing advancements in science and nature, seeks to further advance women in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) by empowering current innovators and inspiring the next generation of pioneers. Rooted in a firm belief that there is no better time to highlight positive and successful female professional role models, IF/THEN® is designed to activate a culture shift among young girls to open their eyes to STEM careers by: (1) funding and elevating women in STEM as role models, (2) convening cross-sector partners in entertainment, fashion, sports, business and academia to illuminate the importance of STEM everywhere, and (3) inspiring girls with better portrayals of women in STEM through media and learning experiences to pique their interest in STEM careers. To learn more, please visit https://lydahillphilanthropies.org/
About Discovery Education
Discovery Education is the global leader in standards-aligned digital curriculum resources, engaging content, and professional learning for K-12 classrooms. Through its award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia resources, and the largest professional learning network of its kind, Discovery Education is transforming teaching and learning, creating immersive STEM experiences, and improving academic achievement around the globe. Discovery Education currently serves approximately 4.5 million educators and 45 million students worldwide, and its resources are accessed in over 140 countries and territories. Inspired by the global media company Discovery, Inc., Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and like-minded organizations to empower teachers with customized solutions that support the success of all learners. Explore the future of education at www.DiscoveryEducation.com.
Contacts
Grace Maliska
Discovery Education
Email: gmaliska@discoveryed.com
Phone: 240-839-4239
Stephen Wakefield
Discovery Education
Email: swakefield@discoveryed.com
Phone: 202-316-6615