Healey-Driscoll Administration Announces $195,000 in Grants During
Computer Science Workforce STEM Summit
Grants awarded to five organizations to provide STEM opportunities to students in the fall
BRIDGEWATER – The
Healey-Driscoll Administration yesterday hosted the 2024 Massachusetts STEM
Summit at Bridgewater State University that focused on the evolving computer
science education and workforce landscape. As the computer science workforce
continues to grow, the administration is promoting opportunities that enable
more diverse and inclusive pathways for interested students.
At the Summit, the Administration announced that Massachusetts STEM Week will take place next year from October 21 - 25, 2024. To gear up for STEM week, the Administration also announced $195,000 in grants going to five educational organizations to support STEM-related hands-on learning opportunities for students in the fall.
“In Massachusetts, we want to open doors for our young people, especially to STEM pathways. I want to encourage students, regardless of their circumstance, zip code, or socioeconomic status, to explore every option available to them. By empowering them to see STEM as a viable, exciting pathway to their future, we will inspire the next generation of innovators,” said Governor Maura Healey. “I am looking forward to next year’s STEM Week and all of the exciting opportunities our STEM Design Challenge Awardees will provide for students.”
“It was wonderful to be with students, educators, workforce partners, colleagues and more at our STEM Summit to highlight the importance of computer science and the impact educational opportunities in this field can have on students and our state. We will continue to lift up these careers for all students, strengthening our tech workforce pipeline and economy, driving our competitiveness and building a brighter future for all,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, co-chair of the STEM Advisory Council.
At the Summit, Lieutenant Governor Driscoll, Education Secretary Tutwiler, and other state officials first toured Bridgewater State’s Cybersecurity Training Center and Biology Labs. Then students from the Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School shared their perspectives on computer science education and the impact of meaningful computer science and IT career exposure opportunities. This was followed by a panel discussion on the role of mentoring and career exposure to advance workforce development and generate awareness about the growing workforce needs in the cybersecurity industry with the Mass Cyber Center.
“I want to thank
Bridgewater State University and President Clark for hosting the STEM Summit.
Their Cybersecurity Training Center and Biology Labs were impressive examples
of the STEM opportunities available for students across the Commonwealth. I am
leaving the Summit energized and optimistic about the future for so many
reasons. Among them are the Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High
School students who shared their stories and how the state’s investments are
setting them up for success,” said Secretary of Education Dr. Patrick
Tutwiler. “I also want to congratulate the 2024 STEM Design Challenge
Awardees and look forward to how they continue to engage Massachusetts students
in STEM.”
“As a computer science major in undergrad myself, I was fortunate to be surrounded by incredible educators, peers, mentors and workforce development opportunities,” said Secretary of Technology Services and Security Jason Snyder. “The STEM Summit is illustrative of what these partnerships mean to today’s students who represent the future of our statewide workforce, and I am so glad these opportunities and resources, like the Bridgewater State’s Cyber Range, exist right here in our backyard. We know these rapidly growing fields in emerging tech need highly skilled, diverse, workforce-ready individuals to step up in the coming years, and it is clear the STEM Advisory Council is a major driver toward that goal.”
The STEM Summit is organized by the Executive Office of Education and the STEM Advisory Council. The STEM Advisory Council was established to expand access to high-quality STEM education for students across Massachusetts, and is currently co-chaired by Lieutenant Governor Driscoll, U.S Congressman Jake Auchincloss and Chairman, President and CEO of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Dr. Jeffery Leiden.
“Massachusetts continues to have all the essential pieces and partnerships to sustain a robust workforce pipeline to support companies and transform lives across the Commonwealth,” said Massachusetts Life Sciences Center Acting CEO and Vice President of Economic Development and Partnerships Jeanne LeClair. “We are incredibly proud of our support for Bridgewater State University as it demonstrates our shared mission to grow our life sciences ecosystem and broader STEM workforce on a regional basis.”
2024 STEM Design
Challenge Awardees
Museum of Science – In the year of the EarthShot, the Museum of Science is launching an environmental engineering challenge for students in grades 3-5 to raise awareness about the prevalence of plastic pollution. Students will consider the effects of plastics on ecosystems and communities as they engineer filters to reduce plastic waste entering bodies of water. This challenge can also be modified for students in grades 6-8.
Wade Institute for Science Education – This Design Challenge, “Extreme Zoo Makeover: A STEM Approach to Habitat Design,” will engage students in grades 5-8 in a unique experience that integrates science and engineering concepts in a series of inquiry-based investigations that lead up to a student-driven challenge. The Wade Institute is partnering on this design challenge with the Lloyd Center for Environment and Buttonwood Park Zoo.
Kids In Tech – STEM Goes Green: The STEM Challenge introduces students to a range of environmental topics, emphasizing how human activities impact water resources. Through hands-on activities, like a simulation demonstrating overfishing with goldfish crackers and a model of ocean gyres in a bottle, students gain practical insights into the issues facing marine ecosystems. It also covers plastic pollution and its journey through watersheds, encouraging students to brainstorm solutions to reduce environmental impact. Students learn about the water cycle, exploring concepts like evaporation, condensation, and precipitation, and they perform water quality tests to understand the importance of clean water for human health. By the end of the unit, students will be better equipped to think critically about water sustainability and contribute to positive environmental change. This challenge is geared towards elementary/ middle school students.
PBL Works – The Future of Work is a high-quality, meaningful K-12 applied project-based learning experience for Mass STEM Week aligned to Massachusetts standards created by PBLWorks for middle and high school students. Students have the opportunity to investigate in-demand careers and dialogue with industry experts. For a final product, student teams use what they learn to develop a website that will prepare and inspire students in their community to pursue the career they have chosen to explore. They engage in peer critique and use it to revise their designs. Students combine their team websites into one class website to share with an authentic audience of students in their community. This website becomes a resource for college and career counseling services at their school site and others in the district.
WPI STEM Education Center – For STEM Week 2024, the STEM Education Center will expand the “I Am STEM” Lesson Library (PK-7) with up to 8 additional lessons. In addition, a new category of CS will be established and some of the newly created lessons will be aligned with digital learning and computer science (DLCS) standards. Following teachers’ requests, they will create letters to families/caregivers to be added to all lessons in the library. Lastly, they will conduct a series of teacher training about the lessons. As in previous years, the Center will hire a team of expert STEM teachers to develop the additional lessons.
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