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STEMx Policy Fellow: Representative Wilson Stone

April 29, 2016

Today, we’re talking to Representative Wilson Stone of Kentucky. Rep. Stone is part of the inaugural class of STEMx Policy Fellows from across the country. They are spending the next two years learning from and with other policymakers from STEMx states to take new ideas back to their own community.

Welcome Rep. Stone! What does it mean to you being a STEMx Policy Fellow?

Rep. Wilson Stone of Kentucky, a STEMx Policy Fellow

I am a part of STEM because I am interested in promoting STEM education across Kentucky, especially as the legislature might be able to enable and promote. Being a STEMx Policy Fellow has within it, a certain responsibility to be a strong promoter of and liaison for STEM education within state government agencies as we attempt to broaden the scope of STEM education across K-12.

Why did you want to be a STEMx Policy Fellow?

I am a strong and unapologetic advocate of public education. STEM must be an integral part of student preparation as we move further into the 21st century.

What do you hope to learn during your time as a fellow?

My hope is to learn more about the specifics of the STEM curriculum being offered, especially as it pertains to various age groups; what is being done in other states; and specific examples of success that are manifest in examples of profession choices.

How do you think this fellowship will help you and Kentucky be a leader in STEM education?

This fellowship will provide exposure to the STEM emphasis programs that have been operating longer than those in Kentucky. To gain from others experience is very important. To be able to coordinate any legislative policy or monetary application with those who have the education expertise is also important as we attempt to move Kentucky forward more rapidly in the STEM disciplines.

Thanks so much for your time, Representative Stone! 
Sign up here to receive the rest of our updates on the STEMx Policy Fellows, including the application for the program’s next group.

Celebrating the 2023 STEM Innovation Forum

By Rob Evans • November 1, 2023
by Heather Sherman, Director of STEMx The 2023 STEM Innovation Forum: Activating Collaborations to Advance an Inclusive STEM Workforce was a success! Through our collaboration with STEMconnector and Million Women Mentors, we convened 160 leaders from industry, government, non-profit organizations, and education institutions from all over the United States to discuss strategies and best practices to support the STEM workforce. We were honored to host a variety of dynamic speakers including: Jared Polis, Governor of Colorado Brynt Parmeter, Chief Talent Management Officer, U.S. Department of Defense Dr. Athina Kanioura, Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer, PepsiCo and Dr. Lisa Hinkelman, Founder and CEO of Ruling Our eXperiences (RoX). We extend our gratitude to our panelists, Learning Session speakers, and participants who joined us in Denver. Broadening participation We set out share information on trends in STEM education and workforce development, with an emphasis on broadening participation in STEM careers. Resources from sessions highlighting strategies for broadening participation are linked below: DoD STEM: Developing a STEM Workforce to Support the National Security Mission Priming the Pump for High Demand STEM Careers STEM Workforce Readiness for Teen Girls: “If She Can See It, She Can Be It” Driving change Another goal of the forum was to feature high impact strategies, programs and solutions that are driving change, and STEMx members from LASTEM , the PAST Foundation and MBRT showed how they are engaging youth and building career awareness through their workforce programs. Emerging technologies We looked towards the future to better understand how emerging technologies will change the world and the ways we must prepare STEM talent for jobs in logistics, artificial intelligence, research safety , bioenergy , and renewable technologies. Chevron‘s sponsored panel, “Cultivating the Talent to Drive the Innovation and Technologies for Ever-Cleaner Energy” was a rich discussion featuring experts from Chevron, Project Lead the Way and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Dr. Jamie Vernon, Executive Director, and CEO, Sigma Xi Society was a fantastic moderator for this discussion. Next steps We have linked event resources including videos, slide decks and collateral on the event landing page . The event photo gallery is located there as well. If you attended, please complete our 30 second event survey . Five lucky winners will be selected at random to receive a Forum water bottle! More importantly, your feedback matters to us. If you did not attend, mark your calendar for next fall - we’re looking to make next year even bigger! If you are interested in hosting in your state, or have thoughts about compelling content that we should include, please reach out to Heather Sherman .

STEM Innovation Forum: Agenda and New Sponsors

By Rob Evans • October 3, 2023
Join us for The STEM Innovation Forum: Activating Collaborations to Advance an Inclusive STEM Workforce
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