Ecosystem Spotlight

From Meeting to Impact: How One Foundation’s Investment of $25,000 Spurred Large-Scale Collaboration

What happens when a foundation offers a one-year, $25,000 grant to a network of STEM educators and leaders? It shutterstock_430618540shouldn’t be surprising that the answer is: innovation.

The NYC STEM Education Network was formed in 2012 with about 30 STEM learning providers, STEM-rich cultural institutions, city agencies, and youth-serving organizations that offered school-based after-school programs. The Pinkerton Foundation, which provided the original grant, issued a challenge: develop at least one collaborative project that delivers engaging STEM programming to a substantial number of disadvantaged young people.

Read more about the Network and discover lessons for grantmakers.

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Newark STEM Ecosystem: Cultivating Innovation, One Student at a Time

The Newark STEM Ecosystem held its second annual convening on January 16, 2025 on the campus of NJIT, bringing together over 130 members from 87 cross-sector partners including education, industry, government, and community organizations. Leadership from both NJIT and Rutgers University-Newark kicked off the event, which featured presentations on innovative approaches to STEM education, including using LEGO for hands-on learning and data visualization tools for decision-making.

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