STEM Ecosystems Spotlight: Chicago STEM Pathways Cooperative
The Chicago STEM Pathways Cooperative, also known as The Co-op, is transforming the STEM education landscape across the greater Chicago area. This collaborative initiative aims to unify the STEM ecosystem, identify key players, bridge gaps, and foster collaboration to create a more inclusive and thriving out-of-school time (OST) STEM network.
About The Co-op
The Chicago STEM Pathways Cooperative operates throughout the greater Chicago area, serving communities in the city and its surrounding regions. Their target audience includes students of all ages, educators, parents, guardians, and community members. The Co-op has established partnerships with various educational institutions, STEM and civic institutions, non-profit organizations, government agencies, industry leaders, community-based organizations, and STEM professionals.
This diverse team represents various organizations and brings unique expertise to The Co-op, ensuring a comprehensive and collaborative approach to advancing STEM education in Chicago.
The success of The Co-op is driven by a diverse and passionate team of ecosystem leaders from across Chicago:
- Dr. Nichole Pinkard: Founder of Digital Youth Network, Faculty at Northwestern University
- Sybil Madison: Director, Office of the President, MacArthur Foundation
- Natasha Smith-Walker: Executive Director, Project Exploration
- Akili Lee: Co-founder, Digital Youth Network
- Stender Von Oehsen: Youth Programs Manager, DFSS, City of Chicago
- Meridith Bruozas: Institutional Partnership Director, Argonne National Laboratory
- Kelli A. Easterly: Executive Director of STEM, Chicago Public Schools
- Sarah Glavin: Head of Community Affairs, Amazon
- Chetta Potts: STEM Education Partnership & Outreach Manager, Project Exploration (not shown in the image)
- Jessica Burgess: STEM Education Partnership & Outreach Manager, Argonne National Laboratory (not shown in the image)
Innovative Practice: Data-Driven STEM Ecosystem Advancement
The Co-op’s approach is centered on data-driven decision-making to address challenges in the Chicago STEM ecosystem. Through landscape surveys and data analysis conducted by Dr. Nichole Pinkard of Northwestern University and her Digital Youth Network team, The Co-op gains valuable insights into the types and distribution of STEM programs, target audiences, geographic disparities, and unmet needs in different communities. This data informs strategic planning, resource allocation, and program development to ensure a more equitable distribution of STEM education opportunities across Chicago.
Impact Story
The impact of The Co-op extends across the greater Chicago area. The initiative has made significant strides in addressing critical issues in Chicago’s STEM education landscape—such as inequities in access to quality STEM experiences and limited resources for robust programming. By leveraging data-driven strategies, The Co-op has been able to identify equity gaps and improve program design while enhancing community engagement.
A key outcome of this collaboration is the STEM Landscape Survey and Argonne National Laboratory’s South Side STEM Opportunity Landscape Project. These initiatives enable The Co-op to create a comprehensive picture of the STEM ecosystem and make informed decisions to address community needs.
Implementation Journey
The Co-op’s growth follows a strategic implementation plan:
- Conducting comprehensive STEM Landscape Surveys.
- Analyzing data to identify equity gaps and unmet needs.
- Developing strategies to improve program design and resource allocation.
- Enhancing community engagement through targeted initiatives.
- Tracking progress and impact to inform future decision-making.
Looking Ahead
As The Co-op continues to evolve, it aims to further unify the STEM landscape by strengthening collaborations between key stakeholders and addressing unmet needs in the community. The focus remains on fostering a more collaborative environment within the STEM community while empowering students through inclusive and accessible STEM education opportunities.
Leveraging Digital Youth Network’s OST Landscaping toolkit, the initiative will capture and openly share community-level data to inform programming, policies, and strategies that advance and support robust STEM education and workforce development activities.
To learn more about the Chicago STEM Pathways Cooperative and its initiatives, visit https://www.southsidestemlandscape.org.
