“Never be afraid to make some noise and get into good trouble, necessary trouble.” – John Lewis In recent years, the landscape of college admissions has been undergoing a significant transformation. From rapid-paced emerging technologies and skills-based learning trends to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on ending the use of racial categories in college admissions,…
NACAC’s Journal of College Admission features STEM PUSH: Pre-college STEM programs teach students
about scientific inquiry, research, and much
more. Yet many of these out-of-school
programs that are equity-focused often aren’t
considered in college admission because
there’s too much variability across programs
for admission offices to evaluate. A national
alliance called the STEM PUSH Network is
working to change that.
The STEM PUSH Network convened almost 40 pre-college STEM programs in Pittsburgh for its bi-annual sharing and networking event. The theme, Roots and Branches, focused on deepening and institutionalizing the work (roots), and expanding STEM PUSH’s reach and impact (branches). Over the course of two and a half days, educators from Florida to California, offered…
September 2024 Newsletter STEM PUSH understands the power of strategic communications and storytelling in sustaining, scaling, and growing our mission of ensuring opportunity for Black, Latina/o/e, and Indigenous students in STEM. Over the last four years, STEM PUSH has made storytelling and strategic communications a key strategy to move systems change in college admissions. In…
The STEM PUSH Network is excited to join four NSF Eddie Bernice Johnson INCLUDES-funded alliances and the NSF Coordination Hub for an important webinar discussion on how Improvement Science can be leveraged and adapted for equitable systems change in STEM. The Aug. 30th National Network Quarterly Webinar will showcase the transformative work of four…
Developing competencies that matter in STEM are important for programs to nurture in students as they prepare for their futures. This is important for pre-college STEM programs and the youth they serve, as well as the larger system. The STEM PUSH Networked Improvement Community (our learning engine) is testing key areas of improvement – like…
STEM PUSH publishes its evidence-based tools and stories of improvement to support pre-college STEM leaders, guidance counselors, college admissions professionals, and more. These resources are based on research, best practices from the field, and findings from our Networked Improvement Community (NIC). The NIC is our learning engine where almost 40 pre-college STEM programs are testing…
In a major achievement for greater equity in post-secondary STEM, six STEM PUSH pre-college STEM programs (PCSPs), have earned a first-of its kind accreditation from Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS). Accreditation validates the demonstrated progress STEM PUSH is making in broadening access in STEM for Black, Latina/o/e, and Indigenous students.…
Pittsburgh, PA (April 30, 2024) – The STEM PUSH Network has reached a major milestone in its goal of increasing equity in higher education admissions, as the first cohort of STEM PUSH Pre-College STEM Programs (PCSPs) has earned first-of its kind accreditation from Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS). The accreditation…
From Ohio to Florida, to California, to Oregon, pre-college STEM programs from around the nation gathered in Pittsburgh for the Spring 2024 STEM PUSH convening. Over three and a half days, Network members shared strategies for sustaining equity work in an increasingly challenging political environment. In this newsletter, we recap some of the highlights of…
Equity has been central to the work of STEM PUSH. Equity plays a pivotal role in our Hub design, our Networked Improvement Community (NIC), tools, and practices, and ongoing Network growth. We directly engage in focused trainings with members of the NIC, that are led by STEM PUSH Equity Lead, Dr. Lori Delale-O’Connor. As part…
Six Pre-College STEM program (PCSP) members of the STEM PUSH Network , a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded research project led by an interdisciplinary team of University of Pittsburgh researchers from The Broadening Equity in STEM Center, are poised to be the first ever out-of-school educational programs accredited by Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary…
In 2023, The National Science Foundation (NSF) renamed the INCLUDES Program to honor Eddie Bernice Johnson’s work in civil rights, and her crucial role in advancing science policy, including the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. A tireless advocate for equality, equity, and opportunity in STEM, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (1934-2023)…
STEM PUSH thinks about science, engineering, technology and math – STEM – through the lens of racial equity. Equity is the approach with which the Network reviews all work, processes, learning and research. With this lens, STEM PUSH involves Network partners in a number of activities to study, reflect on and implement equity-based practices to…
STEM PUSH recognizes that the diversity of programs in disciplinary content, pedagogical approaches, timing, logistics, and student populations is an enormous strength of the Network. This month’s newsletter celebrates the diversity and the unique connections, projects, and progress of each pre-college STEM program within the Network. Read More
With a focus of “Changing Systems–Bridging to Sustainability,” the STEM PUSH Network convened 46 Network partners from 11 states to share learnings, test ideas, and envision a path forward in our collective work of equitable systems change in higher education admissions to broaden participation of Black, Latina/e/o and Indigenous students in STEM. At the convening,…
In June 2023, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruled on the use of race in the decision making process for college admissions, significantly limiting how a student’s race may be considered in the decision making process for college acceptance. Alongside many thought leaders, organizations, and higher education professionals, the STEM PUSH Network…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTYjrq4Gdg8 Watch the conversation with members of the STEM PUSH Network – the first-ever national network of pre-college STEM programs, using improvement science to increase the number of Black, LatinX, and Indigenous students in post-secondary STEM. Hear more about building community partnerships, through STEM Learning Ecosystems and beyond, to elevate the rigorous STEM learning experiences…
As a collective of pre-college STEM program (PCSP) partners dedicated to changing higher education admissions in STEM, the STEM PUSH Network relies on our community-based educators to test and implement equity centered tools for developing STEM competencies that matter. And now, as the project matures, network members will lead the way in scaling, sustaining, and…
Through our Networked Improvement Community (NIC) – our Learning Engine – STEM PUSH works with more than 40 pre-college STEM programs (PCSPs) to strengthen their capacity to support Black, Latina/o/e and Indigenous students on a pathway to STEM undergraduate study. Each year, STEM PUSH convenes the entire network to share areas of improvement, data on…
As a collective that squarely aims for opportunity and access in higher education for Black, Latina/o/e and Indigenous students in STEM, the STEM PUSH Network is deeply concerned by the current assaults against race-conscious admissions practices. These policies have provided much needed counters to the systemic racism that hampers opportunity for under-represented students—especially in STEM…
University of Pittsburgh’s Broadening Equity in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Center (BE STEM Center) is now an accredited learning services provider, a designation that will advance the multidisciplinary center’s mission to increase equity and diversity in STEM. Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS) has granted the credential in recognition of BE STEM’s…
STEM PUSH thinks about science, engineering, technology and math – STEM – through the lens of racial equity. Equity is the approach with which we review all of our work, processes, learning and research. STEM PUSH continues to share resources and support PCSP leaders in connecting these resources and associated content into programs. As part…
May 2023 Newsletter: STEM PUSH shares progress at national convenings With a mission to broaden participation in STEM for Black, Latina/o/e and Indigenous students, STEM PUSH hit the road, presenting at two national convenings about our learning and resources to support, scale and sustain the work. In April, Network and pre-college STEM program (PCSP) leaders…
At our third in-person convening, “STEM PUSH: On the Equity Journey” partners from across the U.S. connected to share learning, resources, and to set and enact the agenda for increasing access and opportunity in STEM. STEM PUSH pre-college STEM program (PCSP) representatives gathered for three and a half days of networking and learning sessions designed…
There is power in a network, and the STEM PUSH Network is already realizing what can happen when like-minded partners with a strong, shared vision work together to accelerate change. STEM PUSH brings together the first national network of pre-college STEM programs (PCSPs) that are working together through a Networked Improvement Community (NIC) to broaden…
STEM PUSH is working to change college admissions to expand access and equity for Black, Latina/o/e and Indigenous students in STEM fields. Our aim is to improve college-going and persistence in STEM for students in our participating 40+ pre-college STEM programs. The Supreme Court is poised to weaken race conscious admissions practices, a move that…
In STEM PUSH, the networked improvement community, or NIC, is our learning engine. Pre-college STEM programs test small changes to their programming and gather data about whether these changes are leading to improvements in how well they serve Black, Latina/o/e, and Indigenous students. Over time, the “tests of change” that individual programs conduct help us…
As Navajo STEM educator, and past participant of Native American Science and Engineering Program with the University of Arizona Office of Early Academic Outreach, (NASEP) Carol Seanez would like to see greater appreciation for, and inclusion of Indigenous knowledge and practices in STEM disciplines. “You know, the scientific method is to observe, think of a…
November 2022 Newsletter In STEM PUSH, the networked improvement community (NIC) is our learning engine. Pre-college STEM programs try out small changes to their programming and gather data about whether these changes are leading to improvements in how well they serve Black, Latino/a/e, and/or Indigenous students. Photo Courtesy of CSUEB MESA Over time, the “tests…
Grady Burrows knows how important diversity in STEM is for innovation, progress, and equity. But Burrows, executive director of HIT in the CLE says that the key to increasing success for Black, Latina/o/e and Indigenous students in STEM is more than just a numbers game. “You want to have more representation within a lot of…
Racial equity in STEM is the primary motivator behind the STEM PUSH Network and is at the center of all we do. As we seek to support Black, Latinx, and Indigenous students in gaining admission to STEM in higher education, our overarching goal has equity at its core. To do our work, we had to…
In STEM PUSH, the networked improvement community, or NIC, is our learning engine. Precollege STEM programs try out small changes to their programming and gather data about whether these changes are leading to improvements in how well they serve Black, Latinx, and/or Indigenous students. Over time, the “tests of change” that individual programs conduct help…
Pre-college STEM programs (PCSPs) serve an important role for students in their STEM journeys. These programs connect students with the scientific community by engaging in high-quality STEM content such as cutting-edge research, or the latest engineering practices, experiences that students cannot get in their schools. Students learn important, transferable, skills like problem solving, experimental design,…
STEM PUSH Convening: July 2022 Newsletter The STEM PUSH Network hosted our first national in-person convening, STEM PUSH UnZoomed, from April 26-29. We were excited to welcome 31 PCSP representatives from 24 STEM PUSH programs in all seven of our Ecosystems to Pittsburgh, in addition to our NSF Program Officer and members of our…
STEM PUSH was started to increase participation of Black, LatinX and Indigenous students in undergraduate STEM majors by addressing the high school to college STEM access barrier. We saw high achieving, minoritized students who had participated in our Pre-College STEM programs (PCSPs) denied admission into undergraduate STEM programs. We knew that the skills, abilities and…
Issam Abushuban, a student who participated in a pre-college STEM program at the University of Pittsburgh, shares how his experiences with Gene Team and mentorship from Dr. Becky Gonda and others positively influenced him.
By Talia Stol In order to change and disrupt systems, one must first “see” the system and one’s location within it, and then be able to openly discuss how systems operate to benefit some at the expense of others. That is the big thinking behind the STEM PUSH Network’s “Racism in STEM Discussion Routine” for…
PITTSBURGH – Three new communities will join the STEM PUSH Network, a National Science Foundation INCLUDES Alliance, to work for systemic change in post-secondary admissions. The Arizona SciTech Institute, the New Jersey STEM Pathways Network and the NeoSTEM Ecosystem in Cleveland, all Ecosystems associated with the STEM Learning Ecosystems Community of Practice, are the second…
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…
Aaron Cortes works to give underserved students some of the advantages that privileged youth enjoy, things that he and many others who work with Northeastern Illinois University’s Center for College Access and Success, didn’t have when they were growing up. “Many of us who come from underserved communities were never given opportunities to choose what…
STEM PUSH is Working to Increase Numbers of Black and Brown Students Pursuing STEM The idea started as all good ones do — from a big problem: Too few People of Color are pursuing STEM disciplines and professions. The explanations for why are varied and complex and range from systemic racism to institutional complacency. Through…
When first taking over the role of Director for the CSU East Bay MESA College Prep Program in 2019, Janiene Langford was ambivalent about the culminating event that pitted teams from around the California East Bay against one another. She wanted students to support and nurture each other in a collaborative and fun environment and…
For Vince Stewart, the leader of the Bay Area STEM Ecosystem, STEM is not just a flat set of skills connected to science, technology, engineering and math. Stewart, who also serves as Chief Impact and Program Officer and Senior Managing Director of Education at Children Now, sees STEM as a way of driving systemic change,…
Rockefeller works to help ensure that more students can embrace science NEW YORK – Students who participate in Rockefeller University’s LAB Experience program may have an opportunity to examine their own DNA. Hundreds of New York middle and high school students come to the university’s RockEDU Science Outreach Laboratory for a look at the life…
At a recent SLECoP watch party of the Netflix documentary Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal we relived the drama of the 2019 scandal that saw wealthy parents working with college admissions coach, Rick Singer, to cheat and buy their children’s way into elite universities. We had a lively chat filled with outrage at “Aunt Becky”…
When Natasha Smith Walker first met Hakeem, she shook her head and thought to herself, “That boy looks very young and is really mischievous.” Hakeem was running back and forth throughout the new West Side STEM Learning Center that Project Exploration had just opened to serve an often-forgotten and neglected area of Chicago. The building…
Participation in the STEM PUSH Network will support the continuous improvement of your programming while creating a mechanism to benefit your students’ postsecondary pathways.
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