STEMconnector Launches TODAY! By Jamai Blivin

In June 2011, Innovate+Educate was asked to partner with STEMconnector  to develop “snapshot” profiles for all 50 states for the launch of STEMconnector in November 2011.   I agreed to take on this work for our organization because not only did I know that Edie Fraser was an amazing connector and visionary, I knew that with Edie’s leadership, STEMconnector was going to be an amazing resource. I also believed that it would be a true asset that would provide industry a tool to for determining how their investments could be maximized in the states in which they have a footprint.   In New Mexico (as an example), the NM STEM Network matched corporate investments with a 100% match of state dollars to show true industry and public/private partnership.  The formal STEM networks that exist in some of the more mature STEM states have experts that truly know their state, their STEM portfolio, and their constituents in P-20 and state government.   

It took six months and a lot of emails and phone calls.  But, along with effort came success.   Today is the launch of all 50 State STEM Snapshots and which includes key information on state umbrella efforts working to advance STEM. The results are truly amazing and every state has something to be proud of.   States like Texas, New York, North Carolina, Arizona, and California “shine” with industry partnerships.   Arkansas highlights their new launch of STEM practices under Governor Beebe’s leadership.    Through our research in Oklahoma, the Governor’s office connected us to Ben Robinson advancing STEM in Oklahoma by aligning the aerospace industry with education across the state.  The Oklahoma Aerospace Industry, comprised of over 400 companies, employs over 140,000 people directly or indirectly and contributes $12.5 billion to Oklahoma’s economy each year.   Ben is a retired Brigadier General in the US Air Force, with 29 years experience as a pilot and spent 6 years with Boeing managing over 300 aerospace engineers.  General Ben, as we like to call him, understands at a personal and professional level the critical connection between education and industry and the need for industry to take leadership in working with education to prepare the workforce of tomorrow.

I congratulate everyone at STEMconnector for their indcredible work under the leadership of Edie Fraser and I look forward to watching the success and growth of STEMconnector.org.