4. TASKFORCE RECOMMENDATIONS
• Move forward with a sustainable alliance
• Partner with SC Coalition for Mathematics
& Science for management/operations
• Identify a full-time executive director
STEMUpstate SC Collaborative
12. STEMUpstate SC Collaborative
• Executive Board – Advisory (Strategic)
Founding, Supporting & Facilitating Partners,
Director and SCCMS
• Upstate SC STEM Collaborative Board (Tactical)
Chairs of Standing Committees, Director and SCCMS
• Upstate SC STEM Collaborative Director (Operational)
13. STEMUpstate SC Collaborative
Focus on community
energy and
engagement as
measured by people
and time committed
to a limited menu of
STEM actions.
14. STEMUpstate SC Collaborative
Founding Partners – Not less than
$15,000 annually for 3 years or
$50,000 in total for 5 years.
Supporting Partners – Not less than
$10,000 annually for 3 years or
$40,000 in total for 5 years.
Facilitating Partners – Not less than
$7,500 annually for 3 years or $25,000
in total for 5 years.
In the good old days of the workplace…a STEM job was a job for life. Western Electric in its hay day employed over 40,000 people in all aspects of land based telecommunications at the Hawthorne plant which operated for pretty near 90 years. Home of the Hawthorne effect…and workplace for 2 generations of my family
Once you arrived in STEM…you arrived. Innovations lasted a lifetime…or maybe several. Today…not so much…
Thus far none of us work at Dollar Tree or Footlocker…but STEM is about both maintaining technical edge in the world and preparing a new generation of workers who are in constant upgrade mode.
The Collaborative seeks to highlight the ARTS as an integral part of the STEM learning experience. Innovation, design, entrepreneurship…all are fostered by seeing the world, thinking and problem solving in ways that demand an understanding of the arts as an integral part of STEM.
On January 22, 2013 a unanimous decision was made by the Taskforce to move forward with a sustainable STEM alliance modeled after the Lowcountry STEM Collaborative.
It was further decided to contract with SCCMS for management of the Collaborative on a trial basis. This decision was based upon SCCMS’ knowledge of the regional, state and national STEM landscape. Additionally, SCCMS’ ties to an existing 501 (c) 3 organization would allow the Upstate Collaborative a “running start” with an option to pursue its own not-for-profit status at its convenience.
The Collaborative’s mission is to create a national model for providing awareness and access to STEM-related experiences for K-12 students.
Measures that matter in being considered as a model are the ability to engage individuals and organization in working collaboratively as partners, the ability to inspire and engage the community (including parents, children, teachers and learners of all sorts), and the creation of lasting infrastructures to continue the mission.
The idea of a “collaborative” is that it serves as an infrastructure that is both sustainable and fluid. It is sustainable in that it has staff with the capacity to bring together people and resources around a common mission. It is fluid in that the strategies selected are guided by the partnerships of Non-Profit Organizations, K-12 School Systems, Post Secondary Academic Organizations, Industrial Companies and others who provide intellectual, action, and capital resources to the collaborative.
The SC STEM ASSET Map will be a digital repository of visual and textual information that identifies a specified range of STEM education programs and resources located in South Carolina. This information will be accessible and useful to STEM constituencies including, educators, parents, students, scientists and engineers, professional organizations, economic development entities and government agencies.
The Asset Map is being built upon concepts of crowd-sourcing where the SC STEM community will populate data and information into the system, recommend and/or “like”, comment, and send out invitations.
The Asset Map is being developed by Clemson Computing and Information Technology (CCIT) with funding assistance from the Clemson University Center for Workforce Development (CUCWD) and SCCMS. SCCMS, through its relationships with a broad spectrum of STEM education stakeholders will guide MAP development such that it reflects the needs of probable users.
Dream Connectors is just one example of how the Collaborative might facilitate volunteer and outreach coordination. (Need text from Marjorie.)
Other volunteer and outreach coordination we might do as per the committee…
Engineering Week
Furman’s Research Experiences for Teachers
iSTEM
Roper Mountain Science Center -- 2nd Saturday
Other Multi-entity events including STEM demos at local schools
Mentorships
The Collaborative is intended to foster investment in STEM education. One proposed investment is the establishment of sponsor branded mini-grants and student/teacher scholarships to participate in STEM events.
Ideally, mini-grants and scholarships would be linked to activities listed on the STEM Asset Map.
Beyond calling the executive board and various committees together the Collaborative will promote “best practice” sharing sessions among partners, other STEM collaboratives, and statewide STEM initiatives.
The proposed organizational structure is based on management by SCCMS.
Suggested Standing Committees
Communication and Marketing,
Resource and Development,
Governance and Leadership,
Asset Mapping,
Volunteer and Outreach
Programs and Steering (made up of by chairs of the other committees.
The role of SCCMS is strategic/operational. We are strategic in that we’ll keep the Upstate Collaborative in contact and alignment with other STEM collaboratives and anything we are doing in terms of a statewide STEM plan.
We are operational in that we’ll ensure the Upstate Collaborative can function by fulfilling its 501 [c] 3 needs to collect and expend revenue and to pass audit. Additionally, we have and capacity to hire and provide Human resources support through Clemson University…or to subcontract with other hiring agencies.
SCCMS should serve in an “ex officio” capacity on the Executive Board. That means we advise but do not vote.
Measures that matter in being considered as a model are the ability to engage individuals and organization in working collaboratively as partners, the ability to inspire and engage the community (including parents, children, teachers and learners of all sorts), and the creation of lasting infrastructures to continue the mission.
One of the challenges a Collaborative faces is to avoid biting off more outcome intentions than they can reasonably deliver. Another is to avoid creating redundancies by taking on outcomes that are already in good hands.
Engagement is the most critical work for a regional collaborative to take on. It is work that one person can manage and it is fairly easy to measure results.
The collaborative needs enough high level support initially to generate attention and give the director and collaborators “proof of concept” time. Ultimately, if the collaborative does good work, it will generate lots of smaller level partners, grants and other revenue…and that is Sustainability Part 2. Founders should take note that grant funding for ongoing infrastructure/personnel support is almost nonexistent at this time.
At this time Michelin and Fluor have made a Founding Partners commitment.
It is worth noting too that SCCMS will be generating an in-kind and cost savings contribution to the Collaborative that is easily worth $7,500 annually.
Everyone understands that the collaborative needs a diverse funding portfolio to sustain long term.
INCEPTION OF TASKFORCE
In the summer of 2011, with full support of Dave Stafford, then COO at Michelin Americas Research Company (ARC), Michelin Challenge Education (MCE) and the Michelin African-American Network (AAN) teamed up to plan an event focused on education. A SWOT analysis identified STEM Education as a task force focus.
Over 100 attendees from 25 upstate organizations came together on 11/14/11 to listen, learn and suggest ideas to move STEM Education forward. On 12/14/11, more than 30 persons returned to create an action proposal. Key actions identified were:
1) Create a broad based steering committee
2) Develop a STEM strategic plan
3) Animate a “STEAM” program for the middle school.
4) Communicate to the community
