In our November virtual meeting, we welcomed Kate Klonowski to discuss the STEM PUSH Network. Kate is the coordinator for both the Provost Scholars Program and the North Star Vaccination Initiative, and acts as staff advisory council representative at Case Western Reserve University. STEM PUSH is forming the first national network of pre-college STEM programs. These programs are connected into STEM pathways within regional communities through STEM Ecosystems. We also welcomed Ilene Frankel, executive director of the Young Entrepreneur Institute at University School. YEI was founded by Greg Malkin in 2005, and launched its initial work at US in 2006. YEI believes every student should experience entrepreneurship through hands-on, real world experiences. YEI operates on a collaborative model; it teaches students directly, and also engages its network of educators and entrepreneurship organizations.

This week, we gathered with our friends one last time in 2022 at the Greater Cleveland Aquarium for good conversation, good food, and a bit of fun. We had a bottled water taste test and yes, it (sorta) turns out you can (sorta) tell the difference between spring water and tap water and all of the artisanal options out there. Sorta. But it was a fun experiment that saw three winners walk away with gift bags provided by Ramses Clements at the Cleveland Water Department, which we all know brings us the best water. We met with old friends from MyCom and Youth Opportunities Unlimited, and new friends from Avery Dennison and ESC of the Western Reserve. And we got a much-too-short tour from Matt Debelak of the great things the aquarium offers. As we look to 2023, we’re excited to see these meetings grow into fun opportunities to network, share ideas, and work together to improve education opportunity in our communities. We’ve got a great lineup set for next year, and we look forward to seeing more and more gather with us. We can’t wait to see you in 2023.

We made the first stop on our 2023 monthly meeting tour at the Cuyahoga County Public Library’s Parma-Snow branch, and wow was it a good one. Our ecosystem friends turned out at this month’s meeting for a great presentation and tour of the library’s Innovation Center. It’s one of the four CCPL Innovation Centers that offer programming and support to everyone from students and teachers to budding entrepreneurs and hobbyists. The centers are free to use and an awful lot of fun. We were thrilled to be there, and can’t wait to come back.

We introduced Caliper, a tool developed to measure STEM ecosystems. Caliper will help us develop our work along the five pillars of a healthy ecosystem: Partnership. System. Teaching and Learning. Measurement. Workforce. Click here to view the slide presentation. Yes, we can't wait to see 👀 and share the results 📊, either!

This week we gathered at the beautiful Boston Mill Visitor Center in Cuyahoga Valley National Park for this month's Ecosystem meeting. We were treated to a great presentation from our friends at the National Park Service, followed by an even better conversation about the impacts of technology and artificial intelligence on the future of education. These meetings are a reminder of the power of cross-sector collaboration to bring about positive change in our community!

Our April Monthly Meeting hosted by RidAll Green Partnership met the gold standard, Black Gold that is. We toured this neighborhood gem and learned about its STEM-based and old-school community outreach that truly meets people where they are. We also enjoyed delicious food at the community kitchen and restaurant. 💡Here’s a Ridall summertime☀️ tip Remember the old-school watermelons 🍉 that actually had seeds on the inside? Well, you can still find those at the Ridall Farmer Jones Indoor Market. It’s the perfect solution to bring back an old-school watermelon seed-spitting contest with your friends and family. (Don’t sleep 😴 on this!)

NeoSTEM visited the remarkable Summit Lake Nature Center, now a thriving space along the Akron lakeshore. This location was previously an outdated pump station and eyesore for residents. New life poured into the site through collaboration between the city, community gardens, the Knight Foundation, the Ohio Canalway, ODNR, and youth groups. We toured the new welcoming facilities along the water, learning how focused community organizations and funding transformed once-abandoned infrastructure into an inclusive asset drawing in schools, families, and outdoor enthusiasts of all backgrounds. Between exploring interactive exhibits, we discussed the power of uplifting underutilized local spaces to spark curiosity, stewardship, and intergenerational connections. 

NeoSTEM visited the legendary Derby Downs track in Akron, home of the Gravity Racing Challenge. We learned soapbox racers first emerged in the early 1900s, even appearing in 1914's Kid Auto Races film. We toured the winding 953-foot track and surrounding fairgrounds that today draw international racers. Participants raced one another in their box cars, reaching "thrilling" speeds for gravity-fueled vehicles. We shared tasty bites and discussed the innovation pathway - from imaginative kids tinkering in garages to engineers designing the next generation of transportation.

NeoSTEM gathered at the impressive Hyland Software headquarters to tour their state-of-the-art educational facilities. We experienced hands-on technology sessions led by Hyland facilitators in the c lab. We designed customized websites using fundamental developer tools, learning about graphic interfaces and cloud hosting. We discussed AI and lifting equity barriers facing underserved groups. We left feeling inspired! Thank you, Hyland Software, for welcoming our community of practice!

NeoSTEM gathered at the Cleveland Water Department's Garrett Morgan facility to celebrate their essential role in serving over 1 million regional customers. We took a behind-the-scenes tour to see firsthand how this utility provides clean, fresh drinking water delivered through complex pipelines, treatment plants, and testing labs. It was an eye-opening experience witnessing the engineering feats quietly supplying reliable water for homes, schools, businesses, and more. Participants also discussed educational priorities, raising awareness of water-focused STEM careers vital to northeast Ohio's future.

NeoSTEM gathered at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History to celebrate its ongoing major expansion. CMNH is in the process of a $150 million renovation across multiple years, including upcoming immersive exhibits showing visitors as part of Earth's evolutionary timeline. The 50,000-square-foot Visitor Hall is now open and accessible to the public. We received a special preview of the upcoming Eclipse in their newly renovated planetarium. Participants also discussed educational priorities within our region and shared goals for the coming year. Seeing one of our anchor institutions pursuing ambitious innovation was an inspirational evening. We look ahead with motivation to keep pushing STEM opportunities and access across Cleveland!

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