Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, including Computer Science

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, including Computer Science

Today, the U.S. Department of Education (Department) will host the YOU Belong in STEM National Coordinating Conference in Washington, D.C. as a key initiative for the Biden-Harris Administration. The Raise the Bar: STEM Excellence for All Students initiative is designed to strengthen Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education nationwide. This new Biden-Harris Administration initiative will help implement and scale equitable, high-quality STEM education for all students from PreK to higher education—regardless of background— to ensure their 21st century career readiness and global competitiveness.

“Research shows how a sense of belonging in rich and rigorous classrooms is directly correlated to students’ long-term academic success. Moreover, the Department’s Civil Rights Data Collection continues to demonstrate that students of color and students with disabilities are disproportionately excluded from learning opportunities in STEM,” said U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten. “Today, we are saying unequivocally to all students and educators that they belong in STEM and that they deserve to have rigorous and relevant educational experiences that inspire and empower them to reach their full potential as productive, contributing members of our nation’s workforce.”

In support of the initiative and its goals, the Department has:

  • Published a Dear Colleague Letter to state and district leaders outlining how federal education funds can be used to enhance STEM teaching and learning.
  • Announced a partnership with Beyond100K through an MOU. Beyond100K will partner with ED to identify the key challenges regarding the supply and demand of STEM teachers at the state and local levels. Additionally, Beyond100K will co-sponsor a series of national communities of practices to support states and school districts in developing and implementing scalable solutions to the STEM educator shortage and improve equitable access to high-quality STEM instruction for marginalized students.
  • Additionally, over 90 public and private sector organizations from across the country have made specific commitments to enhance STEM education. These commitments range from local grassroots efforts to initiatives that are national in scope. (see the list of organizations that made commitments in the past 4 weeks below)

Organizational Commitments to Support YOU Belong in STEM

The U.S. Department of Education invited STEM education entities to make bold commitment(s) to advance STEM education in America. We encourage you to consider the following parameters in developing your commitment:

  • Equity & Belonging: How does our work support ecosystems to cultivate rigorous, culturally relevant, and joyful STEM classrooms with a focus on belonging that meets the needs of underrepresented students and educators?
  • Measurable Impact: How will we know and track the number of stakeholders who will be impacted by this commitment, including states, districts, schools, educators and students?
  • Outcome-Oriented: How are we changing and improving the experiences of students and educators because of our work?
  • Force Multiplier: How will our commitment advance impact across the STEM ecosystem?
  • Transparent: How do we plan to achieve the outcomes and why do we think our approach will work?

Initial Organizational Commitments Supporting You Belong in STEM

In just three weeks, over 90 organizations and even individual educators from across the country have come forward to offer specific commitments to enhance STEM education for all. These commitments range from local grassroots efforts to initiatives that are national in scope. Those interested in joining this movement may submit a commitment here by December 31, 2022.

Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program
American Federation of Teachers
American Institute of Mathematics
American University Game Center
Association of Science and Technology Centers
Battelle/STEMx
Beyond100K
Black Rocket Productions
Breakthrough Collaborative
Brightmoor Urban Training LLC
BrightSpark, Inc.
Brown Toy Box
BrownSTEM
California State University, Office of the Chancellor
Carnegie Corporation of New York
Center for Energy Workforce Development
Center for Family Math at NAFSCE
Center of Science and Industry (COSI)
Challenger Center
Chicago Public Schools - Pershing Magnet School
Code.org
CodeV
Community Resources for Science
Computer Science Teachers Association
Data Science 4 Everyone
DiscoverE
East Syracuse Minoa CSD STEM Learning Ecoystem
EdGE @ TERC
Educate Maine
EnCorps, Inc.
FULL STEAM AHEAD LLC TN
GGUSD
Hispanics for STEM
IDRA & Lead of the Alamo STEM Ecosystem
Intel Arizona
International Technology and Engineering Educators Association
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
ISS National Laboratory
JASON Learning
KC STEM Alliance
Kids' Chemical Solutions
Learning Blade
LG Technical Services
MDCPS/ TeachforAmerica
Meharry School of Applied Computational Sciences
MMSA/ Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance
MSD of Martinsville
National Children's Museum
National Girls Collaborative Project
National Network of State Teachers of the Year
National Science Teaching Association
National Education Association
New Jersey Tutoring Corps Inc
New York Hall of Science
NI (formerly National Instruments)
Niswonger Foundation / STEM.LD
North Mason School District
Northeast Florida Regional STEM2 Hub, Inc.
Ohio Afterschool Network
Old Forge Elementary School
Out Teach
Overdeck Family Foundation
Partnerships in Education and Resilience (PEAR)
Pennsylvania Statewide STEM Ecosystem
Philadelphia Education Fund/Philadelphia STEM Ecosystem
PS Science
S2TEM Centers SC/South Carolina Coalition of Mathematics and Science
SAE Foundation
Science is Elementary
SHPE (Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers)
Smithsonian Science Education Center, Smithsonian Institution
Society of Women Engineers
Sourcewell
South Jersey STEM Innovation & Partnership
STEM Next Opportunity Fund
STEMpressarial INC.
STEMS
STEMS4Girls, Inc.
Student
Tagpros Children International
Techbridge Girls
Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology
The LEGO Group
The New Mexico Out-of-School Time Network (NMOST)
The University of Texas at Austin/ Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC)
The UTeach Institute at The University of Texas at Austin
U.S. DOE Office of Elementary and Secondary Education
Unity Technologies
University of Houston
USD 457 and Kansas State Department of Education
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Wyoming Afterschool Alliance
365 Productions Inc

Table of Contents

Background
Department Offices that Support STEM
Examples of the Department's discretionary grants that can support STEM
Grant Applicant Resources
Call for Peer Reviewers
America's Strategy for STEM Education
Secretary's STEM Priority
U.S. Department of Education STEM Newsletter
Archived STEM Newsletters
STEM Education Briefings
Upcoming STEM Briefings
Archived STEM Briefings
Resources
Other Communications Tools
Other Federal Agency STEM Websites
Department STEM Contacts


Background

In an ever-changing, increasingly complex world, it's more important than ever that our nation's youth are prepared to bring knowledge and skills to solve problems, make sense of information, and know how to gather and evaluate evidence to make decisions. These are the kinds of skills that students develop in science, technology, engineering, and math, including computer science—disciplines collectively known as STEM/CS. If we want a nation where our future leaders, neighbors, and workers can understand and solve some of the complex challenges of today and tomorrow, and to meet the demands of the dynamic and evolving workforce, building students' skills, content knowledge, and literacy in STEM fields is essential. We must also make sure that, no matter where children live, they have access to quality learning environments. A child's zip code should not determine their STEM literacy and educational options.

Department Offices that Support STEM

Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development (OPEPD)
Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE)
Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE)
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS)
Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE)
Office of Non-Public Education (ONPE)
Office of Educational Technology (OET)
Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA)
Institute of Educational Sciences (IES)
White House Initiatives
Federal Student Aid (FSA)
Office of Communications and Outreach (OCO)

Examples of the Department's discretionary grants that can support STEM

Below are investments made in FY 2020:

You can search for open discretionary grant opportunities or reach out to the Department's STEM contacts noted below. The Forecast of Funding Opportunities lists virtually all Department discretionary grant programs for FY 2021.

Grant Applicant Resources

The Department published in spring 2020 two new grant applicant resources. These resources were developed to (1) provide an overview of the discretionary (or competitive) grants application process and (2) offer more details intended to be used by prospective applicants, including new potential grantees. These support one of the Secretary's new administrative priorities on New Potential Grantees that was published in March 2020. They can also be found under the "Other Grant Information" on the ED's Grants webpage.

Call for Peer Reviewers

The Department is seeking peer reviewers for our Fiscal Year 2021 competitive/discretionary grant season, including in the STEM/CS areas (among others). The Federal Register notice spotlights the specific needs of the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), the Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE), and the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS). The How to Become a Peer Reviewer slide deck provides additional information and next steps.

America's Strategy for STEM Education

The STEM Education Strategic Plan, Charting a Course for Success: America's Strategy for STEM Education, published in December 2018, sets out a federal strategy for the next five years based on a vision for a future where all Americans will have lifelong access to high-quality STEM education and the United States will be the global leader in STEM literacy, innovation, and employment. It represents an urgent call to action for a nationwide collaboration with learners, families, educators, communities, and employers—a "North Star" for the STEM community as it collectively charts a course for the Nation's success. The Department is an active participant in each of the interagency working groups focused on implementation of the Plan.

Learn more about what the Department and other federal agencies are doing to implement the plan in these progress reports:

Progress Reports

October 2019
December 2020
December 2021

Secretary's STEM Priority

Secretary Cardona finalized his six priorities for use in agency discretionary grant programs; equitable access to rigorous STEM, including computer science, experiences is noted in Priority 2. The Department also issued a revised set of common instructions for grant applicants.

  • Proposed Priority 1--Addressing the Impact of COVID-19 on Students, Educators, and Faculty.
  • Proposed Priority 2--Promoting Equity in Student Access to Educational Resources, Opportunities, and Welcoming Environments.
  • Proposed Priority 3--Supporting a Diverse Educator Workforce and Professional Growth to Strengthen Student Learning.
  • Proposed Priority 4-- Meeting Student Social, Emotional, and Academic Needs.
  • Proposed Priority 5--Increasing Postsecondary Education Access, Affordability, Completion, and Post- Enrollment Success.
  • Proposed Priority 6--Strengthening Cross-Agency Coordination and Community Engagement to Advance Systemic Change.

U.S. Department of Education STEM Newsletter

In February 2020, the Department created the U.S. Department of Education STEM Newsletter. Please go to our newsletter subscription page to sign-up.

Archived STEM Newsletters

January 2023
October/November 2022
September 2022
August 2022
July 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
October 2021 Addendum
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020

STEM Education Briefings

The STEM Education Briefings are live-streamed, close-captioned and archived for your convenience.

Upcoming STEM Briefings

There are no upcoming STEM briefings at this time.

Archived STEM Briefings

November 15, 2022 –  Public Health and STEM with CDC (presentation slides [MS PowerPoint, 40MB])
September 16, 2022 –  The Pathway to Convergence (presentation slides [MS PowerPoint, 77MB])
July 19, 2022 – Girls in STEM (21stCCLC Summer Symposium)
April 26, 2022 – Learning with NASA is Out of this World
March 25, 2022 – Science: Call to Action (presentation slides [MS PowerPoint, 22MB])
February 24, 2022 – Rural STEM Education (presentation slides [MS PowerPoint, 125MB])
January 19, 2022 - Think Globally, Teach Locally (presentation slides [PDF, 10MB])
December 9, 2021 – Environmental Literacy
November 30, 2021 – Energizing STEM (presentation slides [PDF, 6.7MB])
October 15, 2021 – Data Literacy (presentation slides [PDF, 12.6MB])
July 28, 2021 – Advanced Manufacturing: Industry of the Future (presentation slides [PDF, 11.3MB])
May 4, 2021 – Summertime STEM (presentation slides [PDF, 18.3MB])
March 25, 2021 – Differing Abilities in STEM, featuring Dr. Temple Grandin (presentation slides [PDF, 13.7MB])
February 2021 – Inspiring STEM Interest (presentation slides [PDF, 3.7MB])
December 2020 – New Frontiers in K-12 Computer Science (presentation slides [PDF, 12.7MB])
November 2020 – Federal STEM Strategic Plan: 2 Years Later (presentation slides [PDF, 15.49MB]).
October 2020 – Invention Education (presentation slides [PDF, 13.13MB])
September 2020 – STEM Teacher Preparation (presentation slides [PDF, 3.5MB])
August 2020 – Cybersecurity Education (presentation slides [PDF, 10.5MB])
July 2020 – Early Math (presentation slides [PDF, 2.37MB])
June 2020 – Distance Learning
February 2020 – STEM After School
January 2020 – STEAM: Arts Supporting STEM
December 2019 – Family Engagement in STEM
November 2019 – The STEM Opportunity Index
October  2019 – Early Engineering Education and State Efforts
September  2019 – Recruiting and Retaining 100K STEM Teachers in 10 Years
July  2019 – What Do We Know about Computer Science Education?

Resources

Assisting Students Struggling with Mathematics: Intervention in the Elementary Grades
Designing and Delivering Career Pathways at Community Colleges
Learning in a Pandemic Webinar
Fall 2020 Back-to-School Success Stories
COVID-19 Information and Resources for Schools and School Personnel
ESEA, IDEA, and Perkins Resources
College Scorecardupdated again on 1/15/21
Exploring Career Options – FSA
Work-Based Learning
Stackable Credentials that lead to careers
Cross-agency teacher resources
IES data and statistics, research and evaluation, and tools for educators
Out of School STEM Initiatives
The ED Games Expo "Goes Virtual" to Support Distance Learning
STEM Data Story — A Leak in the STEM Pipeline: Taking Algebra Early
CTE Data Story — Bridging the Skills Gap: Career and Technical Education in High School
STEM Spotlights
Parent and Family Digital Learning Guide
Early Learning: STEM – Math Video
Keep Calm and Connect All Student OET Blog Series
K-12 Practitioners' Circle
STEM Innovation for Inclusion in Early Education (STEMI2E2) Center and OSEP's Early Learning Newsletter
A Transition Guide to Postsecondary Education and Employment for Students and Youth with Disabilities
CTE Research Center
Civil Rights Data Collection
Department's Data Strategy

Other communications tools

Homeroom Blog
Press Releases
Twitter
Newsletter Subscriptions

Other Federal Agency STEM websites

The following are federal agencies that the Department collaborates with to support the aims of the STEM Education Strategic Plan (see above section for more details) and support the Department's stakeholders.

Department STEM Contacts

  • Acting STEM Lead, Office of Career, Adult, and Technical Education – Albert Palacios at albert.palacios@ed.gov.
  • Robert Noyce/Ellen Lettvin STEM Education Fellow, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education — Patti Curtis at Patti.Curtis@ed.gov
  • For inquiries, please reach out to STEM@ed.gov.