Aug 30Youth Voice: An Invaluable Perspectiveby Ron Ottinger and Melissa Mortiz “Our generation is set to inherit a complicated world with challenges we did not create; now is the time to start listening to us.” — Henrietta and Emerald, 2022 Flight Crew Most policymakers and educators grew up during times that look vastly different from…6 min read6 min read
Aug 29Welcome Back to Afterschool 2023: Five Big STEM Ideas to Supercharge Young Mindsby Linda Kekelis and Ron Ottinger Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) can spark curiosity in children that can inspire a lasting love of learning. Interest may start with a project to restore a local watershed; a role model who shares her passion for electrical engineering, Star Wars, and her…8 min read8 min read
Aug 10Sticks, Stones, Dirt, and Bugs: Summertime Adventures in STEMby Linda Kekelis and Andria Parrott I (Linda) enrolled my son in a summer program hosted by our community park’s department in a forest setting. Kyle and his best friend spent their day building forts and hiking the trails. I loved seeing their grubby faces and clothes and hearing about…7 min read7 min read
Aug 1Engaging Millions of Girls in STEM: The Moonshot Mid-Initiative ReportThe Million Girls Moonshot has a single, laser-focused goal–to cultivate one million more girls with an engineering mindset by 2025. As a signature initiative of STEM Next Opportunity Fund, the Moonshot directly supports STEM Next’s mission to ensure that millions of underserved young people have access to high-quality STEM learning…2 min read2 min read
Jul 15Summertime Adventures in STEM: Inspiring Young STEM Explorers One Book at a Timeby Linda Kekelis and Andria Parrott Summer is our favorite time of year. Slowing down, enjoying the outdoors, and relaxing with family. We also can make more time to read with the young children in our families and communities. This blog is about reading with preschoolers. Reading together brings us…6 min read6 min read
Jun 13Conversations with Inspiring Role Models as a Catalyst for Belonging in STEM“Seeing females like me being successful pushes me to pursue my own STEM passions.” - Ariel, 2023 Flight Crew (KY) Look around, and it won’t take long to realize that women continue to be underrepresented in STEM. Women represent a third of the STEM workforce, while Latina, Black, and Indigenous…4 min read4 min read
Jun 8The Critical Role of Intermediaries in the STEM Ecosystemby Melissa Moritz The term “intermediary” will likely be a familiar one if you work in education or the public sector; however, it might be less recognizable for others. What is an intermediary? An intermediary is an individual, organization or group that links resources, money, expertise and more with the…5 min read5 min read
May 16Budget Appropriations Have Begun — Here’s What You Need to Knowby Melissa Moritz The appropriations process takes a long time. Some years it takes longer than others. The budget process usually kicks off when the President announces budget recommendations in February (or March like FY24’s budget recommendations this year) to the passage of a budget by the end of September…6 min read6 min read
May 11Summer of Joy: Six Ideas to Imagine New Possibilities with STEMby Linda Kekelis By: Linda Kekelis and Teresa Drew As winter recedes and spring brings signs of life, beauty, and wonder of the world around us, the time is perfect for reimagining moments that spark excitement and joy. With less structure and more time for play, summer is an ideal time to encourage children’s interests, confidence…7 min read7 min read
Apr 24Youth Employment Works Launch — Centering Young People in Workforce Development Opportunitiesby Director of Policy, Melissa Moritz, in collaboration with Dr. Stephanie Rodriguez, STEM Next Opportunity Workforce and Training Policy Fellow On March 9th, the U.S. Department of Labor announced its Youth Employment Works strategy, a vision for how the workforce system serves young people across the country. …4 min read4 min read
