A Collaborative Conversation with the STEM Push Network, Remake Learning and the STEM Learning Ecosystems Community of Practice
We know the college admissions system is broken. It’s rife with systemic inequity. It relies on outdated standardized testing standards. How do we fix it? What can we as Ecosystem partners do?
Remake Learning’s Pittsburgh Regional STEAM Ecosystem, the STEM Learning Ecosystems Community of Practice, and the STEM PUSH Network are working to answer those questions.
On Thursday, July 27, Remake Learning led a lively Twitter chat with thought partners from across Pennsylvania, Ohio, California, Oklahoma, and Canada addressing topics ranging from equity in college admissions, strategies for creating more equitable processes, the role of pre-college programs in promoting equity, and lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The pandemic’s many challenges, in particular, have forced administrators and educators to adapt, and take a long-overdue look at their college admissions strategies.
Pittsburgh is one of four STEM Learning Ecosystems responsible for much of the STEM PUSH Network’s work on the ground with urban communities and pre-college STEM programs. STEM PUSH seeks to increase the number of Black and Brown students enrolling, graduating and persisting in STEM disciplines in post-secondary institutions.
Other Ecosystems include the Chicago STEM Pathways Cooperative, the Bay Area STEM Ecosystem and NYC STEM Ecosystem. Three new Ecosystems will be joining the STEM PUSH Network: NeoSTEM Ecosystem of Northeast Ohio, New Jersey STEM Pathways and Arizona SciTech.
The conversation was an honest one – highlighting both the power of pre-college STEM programs and the serious, systemic inequities within the admissions systems.
Some of the resources shared included:
A piece on white supremacy culture
A blog on the legal inequities within the post-secondary admissions systems
COVID-19 changes on standardized testing
Ideas to disrupt the admissions system
Visit Remake Learning’s Twitter feed or the hashtag #STEMPUSH to have a look at the complete chat.
