STEM Education Coalition to Join Landmark White House Gathering of Nationwide STEM Leaders

James Brown, Executive Director of the STEM Education Coalition, was recently invited to attend the first-of-its-kind State-Federal Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Education Summit hosted by The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) on June 25-26, 2018, in Washington, D.C.

According to the OSTP, the State-Federal STEM Education Summit will convene a diverse group of state STEM leaders, including officials from governors’ offices, K-20 educators, workforce and industry representatives, state policy experts, and non-government organization executives. These attendees will participate in the development of a new Federal 5-Year STEM Education Strategic Plan in compliance with America COMPETES Act of 2010.

“This event is the first time an administration has asked for this level of state input when developing a Federal STEM education strategy,” said Jeff Weld, senior policy advisor and assistant director for STEM education at OSTP. “Top-down approaches to STEM education can often yield wonderful ideas, but it’s at the state and community level where the momentum happens. State leaders know best what kinds of programs will work in their communities, and where they need the power of the federal government to help drive success in this field. STEM education is critical to preparing our students for the jobs of the future. We must do everything we can to ensure that Federal, State, local, and tribal governments, communities, educators, and private industry partners are united for the long-term success of our Nation.”

Alongside OSTP in planning and carrying out this Summit are the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Labor, and the Smithsonian Institution. STEM leaders from all 50 states, as well as U.S. territories and tribes, will attend the Summit to illuminate and advance State-Federal STEM alignment.

James Brown said, “I look forward to representing the Coalition at the White House STEM Summit. This plan will shape federal STEM policy for the next five years and the diverse voices in the STEM Education Coalition are imperative to this discussion. I sincerely appreciate the invitation from OSTP and look forward to our continued dialogue with their team.”