SOE hosts summit to set STEM blueprint for the future
The VCU School of Education hosted a statewide STEM Education Summit recently at Cabell Library to discuss the future of science, technology, engineering and math education in Virginia.
The summit featured experts from a variety of fields, including the non-profit, K-12, higher education, government and corporate sectors. Keynotes were delivered by Leland Melvin, a retired NASA astronaut and former co-chair of the White House’s Federal Coordination in STEM Education Task Force, and Dr. Jeff Weld, executive director for the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council and a former STEM education policy consultant for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
Summit activities included a panel discussion on the future of STEM education in Virginia, followed by facilitated breakout sessions, by sector and across sectors, which will result in a blueprint for Virginia’s STEM ecosystem to be delivered to the governor’s Virginia STEM Education Commission.
The event was supported by a grant from 4-VA, a Virginia university collaborative partnership between SOE, the George Mason University College of Science, James Madison University, the University of Virginia, and the Virginia Tech Institute for Creativity, Arts and Technology. The project is supported by advisors from the Office of the Governor and the Virginia Department of Education.