OVERVIEW: For the last several months, the NeoSTEM Ecosystem community has been identifying what it believes to be the greatest unmet needs of students in Northeast Ohio. Our community has concluded that people - especially in minoritized communities - have little or no understanding about STEM opportunities that exist locally. Furthermore, there is a general consensus - supported by data showing limited diversity in STEM careers - that many don’t recognize the value of pursuing STEM and don’t see themselves in such careers.  The NeoSTEM community has decided that its top priority for 2021 is to make STEM opportunities visible and relevant to students, families and the entire community, with a focus on improving black and brown students’ engagement with STEM. We’re proceeding by designing a public awareness building campaign about STEM and STEM careers. This campaign, consisting of billboards, social media and other public outreach, will drive people to an online resource that explains STEM pathways, includes links to relevant providers and features key profiles of individuals (and students) who are pursuing STEM.  The idea is to use a variety of public messaging vehicles - websites, social media, billboards, busses and fliers to community centers, schools, corner grocery stores […]

Those who attended the May 2, 2021, meeting of the NeoSTEM Ecosystem discussed the possibility of NeoSTEM establishing a home in a Mid-Town location. The idea of co-locating in the building that MAGNET is renovating was discussed as a possibility. The foundational principle guiding this idea of NeoSTEM having a home is that it would not create programming and instead develop a space for multiple partners to bring programming there. NeoSTEM Ecosystem members broke into small breakout groups to identify some of the questions that would need to be addressed in order to properly plan for this. The discussion from the three breakout groups is summarized below. Key Takeaways: The planning process must be dominated by and centered upon those whom the NeoSTEM Ecosystem seeks to serve - students and their families of the surrounding neighborhood. Focus groups should be held with students, families, educators and other stakeholders to uncover needs, aspirations, potential challenges and opportunities. It might be advisable to pilot the idea at numerous sites. (For instance, NeoSTEM coordinates programing at various sites throughout the community.) Needed Teams: Feasibility  Operations Programming - including digital literacy Engagement - Recruitment  Training Community Outreach Access/liaison Assessment Sustainability  Questions: How will this […]

NeoSTEM has an important role to play in our community. At its best, NeoSTEM is an agent of change; it is a vehicle to create and facilitate meaningful STEM learning opportunities, particularly among Black and Brown students, throughout northeast Ohio. Through its DreamSTEM, WIR’ED, and Real World of STEM initiatives, NeoSTEM has created a framework to realize that change. We have good bones. But how can we accelerate the process? What can we do to bring us closer to our next great leap forward? And, more importantly, how can we help our partners, leaders, and community members, individuals and businesses, reach their own goals? We posed those questions to those who attended our August 3, 2021, ecosystem-wide meeting, and were thrilled with the answers we received. Our partners suggested that we: Create a directory of internship opportunities, allowing students to connect to the businesses and organizations looking for help. Create opportunities for students to become more familiar with the online platforms and tools they will use throughout their careers. Continue outreach to businesses and organizations - to STEM industry leaders in northeast Ohio - to help them understand the many benefits of being active partners in the NeoSTEM Ecosystem. Each […]

Federal Grants: Understanding the Opportunity Like most of the country, Northeast Ohio has struggled. Families across the region face economic insecurity. Students have been forced to adapt to changing classroom conditions. Businesses grapple with social distancing policies and the ever-present threat of future closures. And, as the Biden Administration has recognized, “Black and Latino Americans, Native Americans, immigrants, and women have never been welcomed as full participants in the economy.” In an effort to help all Americans cope with these new realities, the Biden Administration launched Build Back Better, a $1 billion agenda, an “ambitious plan to create jobs, cut taxes, and lower costs for working families.” At our September 7, 2021, ecosystem-wide meeting, NeoSTEM partners, stakeholders, and participants learned how Northeast Ohio businesses and individuals can participate in Build Back Better’s recovery plan, and discussed how NeoSTEM can play a key role in this opportunity. Chris Spence, founder of the Cleveland-based New Growth Group, offered an overview of the many federal grant opportunities available through Build Back Better, and how to apply for them. Build Back Better is designed to grow new regional industry clusters or escale existing ones through planning, infrastructure development, innovation and entrepreneurship, workforce development, and […]

SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING FOR LEADERS: WHY IT MATTERS Teaching is an incredibly stressful job. A 2013 Gallup poll found that teaching is among the most stressful jobs in the nation, second only to nursing. And that was before the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered classrooms, sent students home, and forced teachers to adopt entirely new methods of engaging students in the virtual, distance-learning environment that followed. In fact, a recent survey found that a staggering 78% of all public school teachers experience significant work-related stress. That’s why the importance of SEL - social and emotional learning - cannot be overstated, not just for students, but for the teachers who strive every day to develop engaging lessons and provide emotional guidance and support in an uncertain world. On September 21, authors James Bailey and Randy Weiner, both seasoned and successful educators, joined us to discuss the importance of social and emotional learning for educators, and explain how big picture connections and support structures along emotional paths can lead to better learning and working environments for educators. James and Randy’s book, The Daily SEL Leader: A Guided Journal, a collection of brief, thought-provoking daily reflections meant to emphasize a leader’s social and emotional […]

It’s Gametime, and We’re Scoring with STEM! If you’ve seen our emails or followed our social media recently, you know we’ve had a big announcement coming. And the day is finally here. We’re thrilled to announce the Cleveland Cavaliers have chosen us to lead 2022 STEM Day March 19, 2022, at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.  Elementary and middle school students and their families from across northeast Ohio will be invited to attend a day of fun, STEM-focused learning events showcasing the intersections of science, technology, engineering, and math with sports. After the day’s events, they’ll stay for the evening game and root for the Cavs as they take on the Detroit Pistons. And they’re relying on the NeoSTEM community to make the day a great one. “We’re going to be inviting back some students, and hopefully introducing many new students and their families to come out to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on the day of a Cavs game, experience some incredible immersive learning around STEM, and attend the game that evening against the Detroit Pistons,” said Melanie Seiser, senior director of group sales and development for the Cavs. “We’re turning it over to the experts to put our programming together, where […]

Remembering Our Friend Like so many in Northeast Ohio and around the world, the NeoSTEM family recently lost a dear friend. On Oct. 21, 2021, Dr. Terrence S. Robinson passed away. He was 46-years old. Dr. Robinson  was a husband and a father. He was a role model and a teacher. He was our colleague, and a guiding voice in our work. He wasn’t simply a leader in our community; he was an ideal, an example of the very best we could hope for ourselves. The NeoSTEM family took a moment to remember Dr. Robinson  at this month’s meeting, and we send our best wishes to his family. * * * * * * * * * NeoSTEM is leading the charge in planning the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 2022 STEM Day, “Score with STEM,” a fun-filled day of engaging activities showcasing the many intersections of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics with sports. And we need your help!  NeoSTEM is seeking event sponsors and partners to participate in this fantastic event. For more information, follow the links below: Event sponsorship, click here. Participating as an event exhibitor, demonstrator or mainstage presenter, click here. The latest cohort of WIR’ED launches Nov. 15, and […]

Looking Back, Looking Ahead The year began with DreamSTEM. Two years ago, NeoSTEM’s thought leaders and partners gave us a mandate - to increase the visibility and accessibility of STEM professions in northeast Ohio’s underserved students, in particular, Black and Brown students. And through a series of planning sessions and countless informal discussions, we developed a plan in 2021 to address that mandate. We heard your call, and we’re answering. This year, under the DreamSTEM umbrella, we launched a teacher externship program to connect educators to the real-world applications of the STEM. We launched the “I am STEM” campaign to introduce students to the many faces of STEM professions. And, in partnership with MyCom Cleveland, we are developing a community-based program to bring after-school and weekend STEM education opportunities to students and families at the neighborhood level. As 2021 draws to a close, we held our final Ecosystem meeting, one more opportunity to discuss these accomplishments, and to begin thinking about the challenges to come. The DreamSTEM externship program connected four area educators with three STEM industry leaders - the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District, Synthomer, and InvaCare - to help them better understand the many career applications of the […]