STEMSTL Workgroups
STEMSTL Workgroups focus on key areas, currently they are:
Centralizing Communications
Purpose:
This workgroup oversees the continual improvement of STEMSTL’s two existing portals, the Educator Resources Portal and Blueprint4STEM Powered by STEMSTL and provides thought leadership for the marketing of St. Louis’s STEM ecosystem. In addition, we will work toward developing a new ecosystem-partner portal, which will allow organizations and practitioners to find and connect with other members of the ecosystem. Key activities and projects also include advising STEMSTL staff on improving and marketing of existing portals, helping to plan St. Louis’s STEM Celebration Week, and planning public campaigns.
Connection to the Workforce
Purpose:
This workgroup helps to build the infrastructure and relationships necessary for robust and equitable pipelines from PreK-12 education to living-wage jobs in St. Louis’s STEM industry clusters. Key activities and projects include supporting continuous updates to the landscape analysis of work-based-learning opportunities, supporting the Community of Practice for Work-Based Learning, and setting up a business advisory council to help build relationship infrastructure between PreK-12 and St. Louis’s STEM industry clusters.
Identifying and Filling Gaps
Purpose:
This workgroup helps deepen the ecosystem’s understanding of students’ access to high-quality, rigorous STEM learning—in-school, out-of-school, and work-based—throughout the region, oversee the dashboarding and visualization of data on the STEM-learning landscape, and support partnerships and advocacy efforts that bring high-quality, rigorous, equitable STEM learning to all students in the St. Louis region. Key activities and projects include helping STEMSTL staff conduct a landscape analysis of regional STEM learning, advising on processes for developing STEM programs and partnerships that fill geographical and content gaps, and building an advocacy platform and strategy to fill geographical and content gaps.
Strengthening the Ecosystem
Purpose:
This workgroup focuses on creating infrastructure and planning events that allow members of St. Louis’s STEM-learning ecosystem and workforce to connect, learn, and partner with each other. Key activities and projects include planning the Annual Gathering, STEM Celebration week, and other community events for partners to connect. In addition, this group will help to guide the STEMSTL staff in the creation of an online partner portal and designing a plan for evaluation of the ecosystem.
Supporting Quality and Rigor
Purpose:
This workgroup aids in the development of quality standards for out-of-school-time STEM learning, work-based learning, and anti-biased, anti-racist STEM learning. This group also supports the development of in-school STEM-instruction standards in partnership with other organizations. Key activities and projects include overseeing the continuation and expansion of STEMSTL’s Communities of Practice for out-of-school-time STEM programs and work-based learning, and the drafting and dissemination of quality standards for out-of-school-time STEM learning and work-based learning.
Learn more about the STEMSTL theory of change.
Learn more about the STEMSTL Key Projects for 2021.