“STEM education is an economic imperative. Experts say that technological innovation accounted for almost half of U.S. economic growth over the past 50 years, and almost all of the 30 fastest-growing occupations in the next decade will require at least some background in STEM.

STEM literacy is also critical because it has a profound and growing impact on our day-to-day lives. It helps us make critical decisions about our health care, our finances and our retirement. It illuminates the ever more complex issues that govern the future of our democracy, and it reveals to us the beauty and power of the world we inhabit.

A literate nation not only reads. It computes, investigates and innovates.”

(Change The Equation.org, 2010)

The guiding objective of the JEDC/STEM AK initiative is to increase student interest and competencies in STEM fields, organized around three strategies:

facilitate professional development of teachers;

offer STEM enrichment activities to students; and,

participate in advocacy and outreach to build public awareness and support.

Our work is guided by a commitment to hands-on, engaged learning that links students to real world opportunities and challenges in an environment of high expectations and discovery. We work with teachers and students, government and non-government organizations, not-for-profits, and increasingly with Alaska business and industry to address the current and future STEM needs of the state.