The Goal

identify five ecosystem-wide grand challenges within our state that we might master within five years’ time if we act together in ways that maximize our individual and organizational strengths and resources.

Challenge 1

Engage individuals and organizations in advocating for quality STEM education.

Our goal is to increase communications among networks and stakeholders of education, business, community, and economic development to advocate for quality STEM education in community, school and out-of-school learning settings.

Challenge 2

Build awareness of the value of STEM education and career opportunities across the community.

Our goal is to increase communications and connections between educators, business sponsors, and economic development leaders by developing a virtual infrastructure for meetings and accessing STEM resources.

Challenge 3

Expand educators’ STEM content knowledge and career awareness through professional learning experiences that engage SC’s STEM business/industry experts.

Our goals are to:
  1. build awareness for STEM opportunities in the state with a focus on STEM careers.
  2. seek community partnerships beyond financial contributions.
  3. create a STEM workforce pipeline of opportunities.
  4. set STEM focus standards for each grade level and list possible partnerships that align to the content.

Challenge 4

Build leadership capacity of STEM educators, including school & district administrators, both in schools and across the community.

Our goals are to:
  1. develop and implement a plan to increase STEM leaders in a pilot district in SC.
  2. create a STEM leadership cohort, sponsored and supported by SCCMS and/or business and industry partners.
  3. provide support for administrators and teacher leaders as they grow in STEM leadership roles.

Challenge 5

Recruit and retain STEM educators through financial and other incentives.

Our goals are to:
  1. continue to enhance the STEM Educator of the Year program with the support of S.C. Future Minds.
  2. grow a network of STEM educators to share knowledge / resources and showcase STEM teacher success. Initial focus for this goal is on social media.
  3. seek connections with businesses to establish opportunities for co-teaching and externships.

Background

In July of 2017, South Carolina’s Coalition for Mathematics and Science (SCCMS) was awarded one of only three “Challenge Grants” issued by STEMx/Battelle.  Using these funds, and with additional support from Boeing SC, Comporium and Fluor, SCCMS hosted the “Grand Challenges in SC STEM Summit” this past October in Columbia, SC. Summit dialog was centered on research conducted by 100Kin10, a national network committed to adding 100,000 excellent STEM teachers to U.S. classrooms by 2021.  Their research seeks to identify root causes and possible actions to address the critical shortage of STEM teachers. Thought leaders from across South Carolina added to this knowledge base through their responses to interview questions designed collaboratively by Grace Doramus, director of strategic initiatives at 100Kin10 and SCCMS staff.

Ultimately, there were two goals in mind for the Summit:
  1. Plant seeds for future STEM education partnerships and collaborations.
  2. Identify five, system-wide, grand challenges within our state that we might successfully master within five years’ time if we act together to maximize our individual and organizational strengths and resources.

Our Process

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Attendees came from across the state and from all walks of life including business/industry, the arts, out-of-school learning places, government, classrooms and more.

Unlike previous SC STEM summits, the focus of thought and action came from the participants themselves rather than being generated by external speakers, panelists or other presenters. Together, we explored the 100Kin10 Challenge Tree System Map to identify challenges most relevant to our state.

Particularly effective was the use of South Carolina interview data to identify a set of Super Themes as organizers for the themes, challenges, and catalysts already identified in the challenge map.   Sessions were facilitated by S²TEM Centers SC staff, who worked to ensure that dialogue and discussion stayed on point and yielded the results we were after.
 
In the end, the day’s conversations validated our contention that STEM leaders would rally around a few catalytic challenges to move STEM teaching and learning forward. However, the task of reviewing more than 100 challenges and whittling them to five was too daunting to be completed in a single day. To launch into next steps, Summit participants made personal commitments to broaden their networks in the SC STEM community and to share what they learned with their colleagues.

For South Carolina STEM education, the Summit was only the beginning.  Findings were presented to multiple audiences throughout the following months and refined into actionable challenges.
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