JACKSONVILLE, FL – Nine new Ecosystems have been selected to join the STEM Learning Ecosystems Community of Practice (SLECoP), a global movement of leaders devoted to advancing STEM learning opportunities for all. The announcement was made at the annual convening of the SLECoP May 1 to May 3 in Jacksonville, FL.
The new ecosystems joining the SLECoP are the Riverside County Office of Education in California, Coastal Virginia STEM Hub (COVA STEM HUB), STEM Húsavík in Iceland, The Ozarks Ecosystem (O-STEAM) in Missouri, Learning Ecosystems Northeast in Maine, the statewide Alabama STEM Ecosystem, Central Susquehanna EcosySTEM in Pennsylvania, as well as ECOSTEM21 Nahariaת and ECOSTAEM21 Kiryat Shmona in Israel.
“We are thrilled to welcome these nine 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 111 individual Ecosystems in more than 40 states across the U.S., as well as in Kenya, Israel, Mexico, Iceland 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.
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.”
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.
For more information, please contact Xan Black at XanBlack@TiesTeach.org.
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ABOUT THE SLECoP
The SLECoP is supported by numerous funders and partners, including the Amgen Foundation, the Broadcom Foundation, the Lemelson Foundation, the Qualcomm Foundation, the Steinman Foundation, the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Foundation and other foundations and businesses.
