STEMblog

Over the past several months, I have had the pleasure of serving as lead researcher on an initiative to develop an innovative STEM cradle-to-career data and research portal for supporting STEM education and workforce needs in Minnesota. Boston Scientific provided support for the project to better understand the state of Minnesota’s STEM continuum and help target resources most effectively. On Oct. 1, we launched the new STEM section of Minnesota Compass, a community indicators project of Wilder Research. The website helps us understand how Minnesota is faring on key measures of STEM success from PreK-mid career, best practices that can inform action, and whether we are making progress over time. Data are provided at the statewide, regional, and county levels. For example, data from ACT, Inc. on high school graduates’ interest in pursuing a STEM major is provided down to the county level. We have striking disparities in Minnesota, and another key goal of the project is to provide data and resources for addressing gaps by race/ethnicity, gender, and income status. To read further, please visit http://blog.stemconnector.org/minnesota-compass-and-boston-scientific-pleased-launch-innovative-stem-cradle-career-data-portal.