IM STEM Network Meeting – August 9, 2018

Watch a recording of the meeting here.

Mission/Common Agenda 

IM STEM’s mission is to broaden participation and close achievement gaps in 7-12 and undergraduate STEM education, by scaling effective practices that close these gaps at the critical junctures that currently limit participation of underrepresented students in STEM pathways.

What We Do

• Foster new partnerships
• Support and grow a robust network
• Develop an asset map
• Identify, share and scale best practices
• Share lessons learned from pilot projects
• Deliver NAPE’s professional development program

Two levels of engagement

Networker level

Benefits – Gain free access to our online communication platform and monthly newsletter, and attend virtual quarterly network meetings.

Expectations – Engage in discussions, post resources, and build your network with our online communication platform; Keep us informed of the initiatives and programs happening in your community; and help us grow the IM STEM network.

Influencer level

Benefits – All the benefits of a networking member, input into the national agenda , access to design and provide feedback to high-quality STEM programming, and opportunity for leadership in the IM STEM network.

Expectations – All expectations of a networking member, help IM STEM connect with key leaders in your states and communities, and serve on a workgroup and lead the evolution of our work.

Workgroup Updates 

Metrics, Data Collection, and Reporting – Identify data for a shared data dashboard that will help network members better understand inequities in STEM programming and measure the impact of various approaches on closing equity gaps.

Communications and Resource Sharing – Establish a regional community where stakeholders can network, share strategies, and leverage effective practices, and engage in a common agenda for expanding equity in STEM.

Asset Map Building –  Create an asset map to illustrate where opportunities and gaps in programming and resources exist across the network. It is intended to be a resource for educators, families, policymakers, providers, business and industry. Idaho STEM Action Center has a good example of what we want to do. Please help us identify programs in your region so we can include it on our asset map and/or consider serving on the Asset Map Building workgroup.

Effective Practice Scaling – Identify effective practices across the network and design strategies to share them and support sustainability.

Pilot Monitoring – Monitor the implementation and impact of NAPE’s Micromessaging PD with a cohort of STEM educators in at least one secondary school district or community college in each of the six participating states. We need people on this workgroup to help monitor the pilot implementation.

Educators’ Equity in STEM II Project – NSF 

Objectives

• Develop Model to Scale EESTEM Academy
• Host in two different regions of the country
• Measure organizational-level features for success

Goal – To build educators capacity to implement effective solutions to increase the participation and success of under-represented students by gender, race and ethnicity, and special population status in STEM technician education (CTE) programs.

NAPE Cultural Wheel

• Cultural Stereotypes
• Bias
• Micromessages
• Accumulation of (Dis)Advantage
• Self-Efficacy
• Behavior

Micromessages – Small, subtle, unconscious messages sent and received when we interact with others.

• Verbal
• Para-verbal
• Non-Verbal
• Contextual
• Omission
• Praise & Criticism

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1744472. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.