When Minnesota’s STEM Ecosystem secured $1.5 million in state funding for workforce development this past June, it marked more than just a financial win—it validated a transformative vision that’s reshaping how the state approaches STEM education. The urgency is undeniable: while Minneapolis-St. Paul ranks 11th nationally on the STEM Job Growth Index and STEM occupations pay $20,000 more annually than non-STEM roles, fewer than 35% of high school juniors are proficient in grade-level math. With 40% of Minnesota’s job openings being STEM-based and growth projected at twice the rate of other fields, this investment couldn’t come at a more critical time. The Minnesota STEM Ecosystem is uniquely positioned to bridge this gap through their collaborative, cross-sector approach that recognizes 80% of learning happens outside the classroom.
About the STEM Ecosystem
The Minnesota STEM Ecosystem represents a groundbreaking collaboration born from necessity and fueled by possibility. Created through cross-sector partnerships uniting business and industry, K-12 and higher education, government agencies, afterschool programs, museums, non-profit and community organizations, and policy leaders, this statewide network is dedicated to closing the STEM learning and workforce opportunity gap. The Ecosystem serves all of Minnesota’s learners through place-based strategies that align classroom learning and out-of-school time learning outcomes with real-world workforce needs. Their approach centers on creating access through robust public-private partnerships, facilitating hands-on experiential learning, and developing culturally responsive programming that meets communities where they are. With a mission to ensure every Minnesota student has pathways to explore STEM careers—especially those who don’t readily see themselves in STEM fields—the Ecosystem has built a comprehensive support structure spanning from early childhood through career readiness.
Innovative Practice
The Minnesota STEM Ecosystem’s innovative approach centers on building regional networks that transform how STEM education connects to workforce development across the state. Rather than implementing one-size-fits-all solutions, they’ve pioneered a place-based strategy that empowers local communities to develop customized STEM programming aligned with regional workforce needs and cultural contexts.
Their regional network model has produced remarkable results across four distinct regions, each demonstrating unique approaches to community engagement. In the West Central region, the Lakes Country Service Cooperative hosted the inaugural STEM Day at the West Ottertail County Fair—marking the first time in the fair’s history that admission was free, thanks to local car dealership sponsorship. This breakthrough attracted unprecedented attendance and engaged families across generations in hands-on STEM activities. The Central region’s “Lure Masters” project exemplifies their commitment to cultural responsiveness, combining Indigenous fishing knowledge with cutting-edge 3D printing technology as students designed custom fishing lures and tested them on Gull Lake, bridging traditional wisdom with modern engineering.
Their systematic STEM asset mapping approach has enabled strategic gap-filling and resource optimization. Through partnerships with Minnesota’s Service Cooperatives, they’ve established comprehensive Community of Practice networks that bring together formal educators, afterschool providers, cultural organizations, and industry partners. Each network is supported by dedicated regional coordination that ensures both local relevance and statewide coherence.
The impact demonstrates both scale and depth of transformation. Their STEM JOY training program reached 41 educators across southeast and northeast Minnesota, directly impacting over 3,800 students from kindergarten through grade 12. With 93% of participating educators reporting the content felt relevant and 85% planning to implement the training, the program addresses systemic barriers to STEM engagement while building educator capacity across formal and informal learning environments.
The Ecosystem’s commitment to cutting-edge professional development extends to emerging technologies through initiatives like their AI Education Summit. In partnership with TIES, aiEDU, and Google, along with the Advanced Manufacturing Center of Excellence, they’re bringing artificial intelligence education opportunities to Northern Minnesota educators. This initiative exemplifies their forward-thinking approach to ensuring educators have the tools and knowledge needed to prepare students for an increasingly AI-driven economy.
Public-private partnerships have amplified their reach exponentially. Medtronic’s donation of 300 Oculus VR headsets, distributed through service cooperative lending libraries and out-of-school learning programs, exemplifies how industry collaboration can democratize access to emerging technologies. These partnerships with major employers like Boston Scientific, Xcel Energy, and Mayo Clinic provide not just funding but authentic workforce connections that help students envision STEM career pathways. Through a collaborative DEED (MN Dept of Employment and Economic Development) grant, the Ecosystem worked with robotics provider High Tech Kids and the Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing Centers of Excellence, to expand hands-on learning while building direct bridges to high-demand manufacturing and technology careers.
The implementation follows a systematic three-phase approach:
- Identify Assets and Gaps: Conduct comprehensive inventories of existing STEM resources while identifying underserved communities and missing workforce connections
- Build Regional Structure: Establish collaborative networks bringing together education, industry, and community partners with dedicated regional coordination
- Create Scalable Strategies: Develop place-based programming with braided funding models that can be replicated across regions while maintaining local relevance
Looking Ahead
The momentum leading to their $1.5 million state funding achievement was further demonstrated at the 2025 STEM Day at the Capitol, where the Minnesota STEM Ecosystem and SciMathMN brought together more than 30 organizations to showcase the power of collaborative STEM advocacy. Sponsored by Xcel Energy, the January 31st event transformed the State Capitol Rotunda into an interactive hub where students, educators, industry leaders, and policymakers experienced hands-on robotics demonstrations, coding challenges, and engineering activities. This high-visibility event exemplifies their approach to building statewide awareness while demonstrating tangible connections between STEM learning and workforce development.
The $1.5 million in state funding positions the Minnesota STEM Ecosystem to dramatically scale their proven model while maintaining the place-based responsiveness that makes it effective. Their 2025 initiatives include expanding regional networks and implementing emerging technology pedagogy through educator externships with industry partners. The funding will also support subgrants to STEM learning partners statewide, expanding high school internships in STEM career pathways, robotics and VR programs, and AI pedagogy training that equips educators with 21st-century instructional tools.
Through their established 29-member Advisory Council on STEM Learning and Workforce Development—representing state agencies, nonprofits, community organizations, K-12 and higher education, and industry—they’re building sustainable systems for evidence-based decision making and continuous improvement. This cross-sector governance structure ensures that scaling efforts remain grounded in both educational excellence and workforce relevance while maintaining their commitment to serving learners who don’t traditionally see themselves in STEM fields.
5 Pillars of Thriving STEM Ecosystems Alignment
- Partnerships: Building collaborative relationships across business, education, and community sectors to create comprehensive learning experiences
- Systems: Creating scalable frameworks that empower regional networks while maintaining statewide coherence and alignment
- Aligning Teaching & Learning: Connecting formal and informal STEM education with workforce needs through experiential learning and career pathway development
- Workforce: Developing talent pipelines through internships, mentorship, and industry collaboration that prepare students for high-demand STEM careers
This model is illustrates for STEM Ecosystem leaders how strategic collaboration can transform fragmented educational efforts into coherent workforce development systems. By combining place-based community responsiveness with statewide coordination, regional asset mapping with targeted gap-filling, and educational excellence with economic development, the Minnesota approach provides a blueprint for building sustainable STEM learning ecosystems that serve both learners and industry needs.
