Portland Metro STEM Partnership is pleased to announce the launch of a new initiative to support culturally focused partner organizations and/or programs with the development of a BIPOC STEAM Ecosystem to expand and support access to high quality and culturally affirming integrated Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) learning opportunities for youth of color, youth navigating poverty and girls. Key components of this effort include:
Creating a Community of Practice to foster collaboration and support partners to expand STEAM programming
Developing Career Connected Learning (CCL) & industry connections to support skills development, and build awareness of high-wage/high-demand jobs
Increasing the number of BIPOC & White Ally industry volunteers
Increasing the number of BIPOC community members as trained mentors
This initiative brings together six culturally-focused partners: Adelante Mujeres, Centro Cultural, NE STEAM Coalition, CAIRO, Arab Community Center for Economic & Social Service, and Early Learning Washington County as well as the multilingual departments from the Beaverton & Hillsboro School Districts.
These partners have the shared goal of expanding access to culturally-affirming and career-connected STEAM learning opportunities for BIPOC youth, youth navigating poverty, and girls in our region and beyond. These partners share the desire to both improve and expand their own programs while working together to develop collaborative opportunities to expand access for youth without privilege. We believe this initiative has the potential to reach the following people over a three year period
9,300 youth K-12
6,000 families with children birth to age 6 (early learning)
1,500 early learning educators
Many Thanks to Meyer Memorial Trust!
We are pleased to announce that Meyer Memorial Trust has awarded $250,000 in support of the Building a BIPOC STEAM Ecosystem initiative! This funding will support the Community of Practice (CoP) of the program providers, empowering them to work and learn together to imagine, design, build, test, and iterate programs and build a cohesive system of opportunities and supports so that BIPOC youth including girls have expanded access to high quality, culturally affirming STEAM learning experiences. This approach empowers our community partners to be at the center of decision-making and places PMSP as an ally and supporter.
This funding supports these strategies:
Collaboration time for partners and support to establish the CoP to build the ecosystem
STEAM programs for each partner organization to expand in ways that best aligns with community goals, interests, and needs
Ecosystem events co-created with partners to bring additional opportunities for BIPOC communities
Communication across the ecosystem (e.g., developing new/expanding reach of current assets)
Contracted support as needed to co-create STEAM and career-connected learning opportunities aligned to goals of partner organizations
Many Thanks to the Oregon Community Foundation!
The Building a BIPOC STEAM Ecosystem initiative is part of a larger funding endeavor known as the Ignite Partnerships matching grant opportunity funded through the Oracle STEM Education Grants Fund I of the Oregon Community Foundation. The OCF Ignite Partnership opportunity seeks to ignite partnerships between business and education to advance opportunities for low-income students, students of color, and girls in STEM.
The Oregon Community Foundation has approved the BIPOC STEAM Ecosystem proposal for up to $1,629,410. This funding is contingent on us raising the funds to be matched.
Investing in our Partners
PMSP is happy to support this BIPOC-led coalition of organizations. As a STEM Hub, our role is to connect and convene regional partners to do the work they want to do to address the needs they have identified. Our BIPOC STEAM Ecosystem partners believe that the very best way to expand access to high quality STEAM education is to invest in culturally specific and culturally focused programs and organizations. We are honored to support their efforts.
If you are interested in making a financial contribution (which would be doubled by the OCF matching grant) to support this work, please complete this brief interest form.
PMSP is a program of the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science at Portland State University as well as a program of Impact NW, a non-profit wraparound service provider working to eliminate poverty. PMSP Co-Directors time is donated in-kind to develop proposals like this and to support the BIPOC STEAM Ecosystem partners. Thanks also to the Portland State University Foundation for supporting both applications and both grant’s financial management.