Boys & Girls Clubs of America Releases White Paper on Advancing Underrepresented Youth in STEM during Out-of-School Time
White Paper Summarizes Key Insights from STEM Great Think Roundtable Discussion and Outlines BGCA’s Position on Progressing STEM Education in Clubs Nationwide
Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) released a white paper today on how out-of-school time (OST) providers can inspire more youth in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. Entitled "Advancing Underrepresented Youth in STEM During Out-of-School Time[/url" the white paper summarizes key insights from BGCA’s STEM Great Think, which convened more than 80 key stakeholders from higher education, government, corporations and nonprofit organizations at Oracle earlier this year.
According to statistics shared by experts at the event, STEM education is critical to the future success of young people as STEM jobs in the United States are expected to grow nearly twice as fast as other fields by 20181. Unfortunately, there is a shortage of both interested and adequately prepared K-12 students in STEM subjects, especially among minority youth and young women. BGCA’s STEM Great Think focused on the role that the OST environment—after school and summer—plays in closing the opportunity gap within STEM education. Roughly 8.4 million children participate in OST programs each year, many from populations that are underrepresented in STEM fields and careers2. In fact, African-American, Asian-American and Latino households are most likely to participate in OST STEM programs3, and girls attend after-school programs in equal numbers to boys4. As discussed by the STEM Great Think participants, the white paper outlines how OST providers can inspire more underrepresented youth in becoming the innovators and problem-solvers of tomorrow: In response to the key insights from the STEM Great Think participants, the white paper also outlines BGCA’s position on advancing STEM education in Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide: As a result of the STEM Great Think, BGCA will meet with its STEM Advisory Council to develop an outcome-driven plan for securing strategic partnerships that advance iSTEM education in the OST space. Feedback from STEM Great Think participants and all interested parties is encouraged at greatthink@bgca.org as BGCA seeks to engage more underrepresented youth in STEM and set them on the path to successful careers. To read or download the STEM Great Think white paper, please visit [url=http://greatfutures.org/pages/GreatThink-STEM.aspx]greatfutures.org/greatthink
Hosted by Oracle Chairman Jeffrey O. Henley and moderated by Retired President of Microsoft’s Entertainment & Devices Division Robert J. Bach, the cross-sector STEM Great Think panel included Babette Allina, director of government relations, Rhode Island School of Design; Pat McCarthy, executive director, ExxonMobil Foundation; Dr. Michael Nettles, senior vice president of Policy Evaluation & Research Center, Educational Testing Service; and Dr. Damon A. Williams, senior vice president of Program, Training & Youth Development Services, BGCA. Supporting partners of the STEM Great Think included Comcast and NBCUniversal, Dell, Dow, Entertainment Software Association, ExxonMobil, Noyce Foundation, Oracle, Samsung, Symantec and Time Warner Cable.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (GreatFutures.org) has enabled young people most in need to achieve great futures as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Today, more than 4,100 Clubs serve nearly 4 million young people annually through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native lands throughout the country, and serve military families in BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. They provide a safe place, caring adult mentors, fun, friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Priority programs emphasize academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. In a Harris Survey of alumni, 57 percent said the Club saved their lives. National headquarters are located in Atlanta. Learn more at bgca.org/facebook and bgca.org/twitter.
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