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If we want students to succeed in college and the workforce, they need to be familiar with STEM and CTE, but that’s easier said than done. As important as building sustainable STEM programs is, it can also be very difficult.

During the edLeader Panel “Critical Factors for STEM Program Sustainability,” Annie Burnett, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at SmartLab, spoke with Mark Whelton, Superintendent of Bridgeport-Spaulding Community School District (MI), and Dr. Michael Gilchrist, Principal of Crossland High School at Prince George’s County Public Schools (MD), about how to make sustainable STEM programs, provide professional development for STEM educators, and manage resources and secure lasting funding for those programs.

For a STEM program to be sustainable, it needs funding, clear ideas, and facilitators who understand STEM. In the case of Crossland High School, they received extra funding from MGM’s Local Impact Grant Fund, a program in which a portion of gaming and tax revenue from the nearby MGM Casino is dedicated to the surrounding community.

Gilchrist explained that this was used to pay for some SmartLab components (SmartLab specializes in PBL-centered STEM learning environments) during his time at the middle school level before being able to buy an entire lab when he became a high school principal. He urged that if funding is limited, schools should think specifically about their needs and purchase accordingly.

Sustainable programs also need clear ideas. In many cases, curricula are developed at the state level, such as tech requirements for students to graduate. Whelton explained that his district originally had STEM sustainability issues since the program would only have a few staff members working with it and was separate from the rest of the curriculum. If one staff member left, it affected availability and could even render STEM unavailable.

The district wove STEM into the K-8 electives and offered it as a high school elective, forging connections between STEM and the regular core instructional model. Bringing in STEM facilitators is a crucial step in creating a sustainable STEM program. STEM facilitators can work with other teachers to find ways to integrate STEM into lessons for any subject, educate teachers on how to use STEM, and train other STEM facilitators. This means that if one facilitator leaves the school, the STEM program remains available.

Programs can also be sustained by forming partnerships with companies like SmartLab, for example, which can develop STEM curricula that align with the Common Core, so that if key teachers leave the school, the partner company can supply materials to help keep the program going.

Professional development and teacher training also play big roles in STEM program sustainability. By having STEM facilitators work with teachers in other areas, those other teachers become more familiar with ways to incorporate STEM into their own lessons. When individual teachers come to the STEM facilitator for help, the facilitator can guide and direct them, which provides each teacher with individualized professional development.

Teacher collaboration and professional development are now easier than ever thanks to virtual meeting tools like Zoom, which enable STEM facilitators to work with more teachers than they would be able to in person. This also allows the facilitators to become more familiar with a wider range of subjects, which, in turn, makes it even easier to help teachers incorporate STEM into their various subjects. In addition, sending staff to workshops and events can increase their STEM familiarity and boost their development.

Funding is crucial for STEM program sustainability and can be obtained in several ways. Gilchrist uses school-based funding to support his STEM facilitator’s ability to buy needed technology, which the facilitator learns about by going to conferences and networking with outside sources. Whelton explained that his district uses multiple funding sources, such as Section 31a and Titles 1–4, depending on the economics and needs of different schools. The best way to use funding for sustainability is to plan for the future. Invest in facilitators and technology that will still be around in five years’ time.

STEM prepares students for successful futures, so schools must focus on creating these programs, helping teachers grow and become familiar with STEM, and financing the programs to ensure sustainability. When schools invest in STEM, everyone wins.

Learn more about this edWeb broadcast, Critical Factors for STEM Program Sustainability, sponsored by SmartLab.

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Article by Jon Scanlon, based on this edLeader Panel