Three communities join collaboration to create STEM opportunities for all.
CLEVELAND – The STEM Learning Ecosystems Community of Practice (SLECoP) has invited three new ecosystems to join a global movement of leaders devoted to advancing STEM learning opportunities for all.
The new ecosystems joining the SLECoP are the Colorado STEM Ecosystem; the Memphis (Tenn.) STEM in Medicine Ecosystem; and the Palm Beach County (Fla.) Learning EcosySTEM. These ecosystems are now part of a collective at the forefront of improving opportunity in education and workforce alignment.
“We are thrilled to welcome these new Ecosystems, with their unique talents, lived experiences and resources to our Community of Practice,” said Judd Pittman, Chairman of the SLECoP’s Leadership Coordinating Council. “We know that they will learn from and grow with the existing communities expanding opportunities for more diverse scholars to realize the promise of a STEM career.”
Now with 100 individual ecosystems in more than 40 states across the U.S., as well as in Kenya, Israel, Mexico, and Canada, the SLECoP is a collective of thought leaders and innovators who understand thriving communities are built through collaboration among schools, institutions, businesses and industry.
STEM Learning Ecosystems, supported by TIES which serves as its backbone, unite community stakeholders across sectors who understand that communities thrive through a robust and competitive STEM workforce, and work to ensure all students are engaged STEM learners who are college and career-ready.
Community of Practice
The new ecosystems in Colorado, Tennessee, and Florida are the first to join the SLECoP under the guidance of its newly-formed Leadership Coordinating Council (LC2), which leads all aspects of the SLECoP’s work and represents a significant move toward self-governance.
As the LC2’s Chairman, Pittman sees great promise in the new Ecosystems, and is eager to embrace their leadership and experience.
“The past few years have accelerated change, spotlighted educational disparities, and ignited new opportunities for reimaging educational systems,” Pittman said. “The Community of Practice is stronger than ever because of the collective power of diverse ideas from new and existing Ecosystems. Welcoming new, productive relationships are the cornerstone of a vibrant Community of Practice.”
For the first time since the pandemic, the SLECoP will gather in-person in Bay City, Mich. from June 20 to June 22 for its annual convening, People, Planet and Prosperity.
The SLECoP has grown steadily since its inception in 2015, with new ecosystems joining the global initiative and working with one another to build meaningful connections among community partners, and to prepare students for the opportunities and challenges of the future.
The SLECoP is supported by numerous funders and partners, including the Amgen Foundation, the Broadcom Foundation, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, the Qualcomm Foundation, the Steinman Foundation, the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Foundation and other foundations and businesses.
