Washington State STEM Education Foundation: Helping students become future ready

For today’s Mid-Columbia students, future opportunities for fulfilling, family-wage careers are growing, and probably none more than those in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.

But, being prepared to take advantage of those opportunities is not automatic or guaranteed. Educational experiences, both K-12 and post-secondary, must first excite and then equip today’s youth to seize them.

That’s where the Washington State STEM Education Foundation, established here in 2008, is making a difference. By partnering with educators, businesses, labor, government and the community, the foundation and its affiliated Mid-Columbia STEM Network have made significant strides helping students become “future-ready.”

We realize more can be done and are continuing to work to achieve a vision that prepares more students, especially those of color and from low-income families, to meet projected workforce demands.

The opportunity

With one of the fastest-growing economies in the nation, our state expects 740,000 job openings over the next five years.

Locally, our region is home to growing agriculture, technology, healthcare, science, engineering, and construction industries, which, according to a recently released state report, will total nearly 1,500 projected openings annually over the next five years.

The challenge

It’s estimated that 70 percent of the careers in our state will require some type of post-secondary credential by 2030. This isn’t just a four-year college degree; many of these jobs await those prepared with apprenticeships, certifications and two-year technical degrees.

Yet current data projects only 36 percent of our region’s students are on track to earn post-secondary credentials by age 26.

Our 2030 vision

Providing our area’s children with STEM-focused, career-connected learning experiences will be key to bridging this significant skills/training gap and central to achieving our organization’s vision:

▪  70 percent of Mid-Columbia students will earn a post-secondary credential by age 26.

▪  Our STEM-proficient workforce will be nearly 100 percent homegrown and include a high percentage of groups typically underserved in STEM careers.

▪  Our schools — elementary through university — will be regarded as national models for business, labor and community involvement, as well as centers for innovative STEM learning.

Our progress

Our community can be proud of what has been accomplished during the past decade by more than 125 different entities working to prepare young people to participate in a robust STEM economy:

▪  Founding and supporting Delta High School, where 80 percent of its graduates have gone on to post-secondary education; two-thirds of whom are pursuing STEM degrees.

▪  Supporting the development of a true STEM pathway with four STEM elementary schools and one STEAM middle school.

▪  Creating STEM Like ME! – a program that recruits, trains and schedules STEM professionals to engage students in hands-on learning to spark a passion for STEM careers and has served more than 5,000 students.

▪  Designing and funding the STEM Like ME! Grants for Teachers program that has allowed more than 4,000 K-12 students to participate in STEM activities.

▪  Promoting the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship, which has awarded nearly $6 million dollars in STEM scholarships in our region.

Join us

Our community has much to gain from a continued investment in STEM education, and the ways to engage are numerous.

Imagine our schools if more people volunteered to coach a robotics team, share at a STEM night or judge a science fair.

Imagine if more businesses hosted a site tour, hired interns or allowed employees a few hours a month to work in our schools.

Imagine the Tri-Cities high school class of 2030, this year’s first-graders, graduating with an understanding of all their career options, especially STEM jobs, available to them in the Tri-Cities and prepared to take the next steps in pursuing successful, fulfilling careers.

For more information on how you or your organization can invest in young lives and make Mid-Columbia STEM’s vision a reality, visit WashingtonSTEMeducation.org.