As announced at the U.S. News STEM Solutions National Leadership Conference today, Delran Township is one of 17 regional Ecosystems added to the national Initiative, which now encompasses 54 communities.
In just two years, the STEM Learning Ecosystems Initiative has become a thriving network of hundreds of organizations and thousands of individuals, joined in regional partnerships with the objective of collaborating in new and creative ways to increase equity, quality and STEM learning outcomes for all youth.
“The growing Community of Practice shares ideas and best practices for innovative learning that will benefit students’ individual development and prepare them for the demands of the 21st century workforce.”
The Delran STEM Ecosystem Alliance was selected to be one of 17 incoming ecosystem communities because of a demonstrated commitment to cross-sector collaborations in schools and beyond the classroom—in afterschool and summer programs, at home, with local business and industry partners, and in science centers, libraries and other places both virtual and physical.
As STEM Ecosystems evolve, students will be able to connect what is learned in and out of school with real-world opportunities.
“It makes sense to collaborate with like-minded organizations, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy,” said Dr. Brian Brotschul, Superintendent of Delran Township Public Schools of the Delran STEM Ecosystem Alliance.
“STEM Ecosystems provides technical assistance and infrastructure support so that we can tailor quality STEM learning opportunities to our specific needs in Delran Township while leveraging the experience of similar alliances across the country.”
Members of the new Delran STEM Ecosystem Alliance, which is led by Kari McGann (Director of Curriculum), Mary Jo Hutchinson (Supervisor of Math) and Eric DeMichele (Supervisor of Science) include Delran Education Association, Lockheed Martin, Public Service Electric and Gas, Rowan College and Burlington County, Rider University, Princetel Industries, University of Kentucky, Princeton University, New Jersey Department of Motor Vehicles, Simon Schuster, Township of Delran, Perkins Center for the Arts and Radwell International.
The following ecosystem communities were selected to become part of the national STEM Learning Ecosystem:
- Arizona: Flagstaff STEM Learning Ecosystem
- California: Region 5 STEAM in Expanded Learning Ecosystem (San Benito, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Monterey Counties)
- Louisiana: Baton Rouge STEM Learning Network
- Massachusetts: Cape Cod Regional STEM Network
- Michigan: Michigan STEM Partnership / Southeast Michigan STEM Alliance
- Missouri: Louis Regional STEM Learning Ecosystem
- New Jersey: Delran STEM Ecosystem Alliance (Burlington County)
- New Jersey: Newark STEAM Coalition
- New York: WNY STEM (Western New York State)
- New York: North Country STEM Network (seven counties of Northern New York State)
- Ohio: Belmont County Ohio STEM Initiative
- Ohio: STEM Works East Central Ohio
- Oklahoma: Mayes County STEM Alliance
- Pennsylvania: Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery STEM Learning Ecosystem
- Washington: The Washington STEM Network
- Wisconsin: Greater Green Bay STEM Network
- Canada: Symbiosis, British Columbia, Canada
Learn more about the national initiative at stemecosystems.org. Address specific questions to [email protected]. Join online conversations on Twitter @STEMecosystems and #STEMecosystems and on Facebook.
About the STEM Funders Network: The STEM Funders Network brings together grant makers working in STEM to learn from one another, leverage their collective resources and collaborate on high-impact projects they could not undertake alone.
The vision of the STEM Funders Network is that all students should have equal opportunity to engage in high-quality STEM learning experiences that will enhance their ability to succeed in a STEM career or other chosen path. See http://www.stemfundersnetwork.org
STEM Ecosystems funding and local supporting members of the STEM Funders Network include: Amgen Foundation, Broadcom Foundation, Burroughs Wellcome Fund, Carnegie Corporation of New York, KDK-Harman Foundation, Motorola Solutions Foundation, Overdeck Family Foundation, Pinkerton Foundation, Samueli Foundation, Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, Simons Foundation, Steinman Foundation, STEM Next (Supported by the Noyce Foundation), and Tiger Woods Foundation.
For more information, please contact [email protected].