Join us as we celebrate accomplishments, connect with peers, and strategize for future impact. Together, we aim to increase access to STEM careers and create accessible pathways for economic mobility for Philadelphians, leveraging the power of regional data. We look forward to seeing you for a day of celebration, networking, and idea generation.

Date and Time: Thursday, October 30, 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM

Location: Franklin Institute, 222 North 20th Street, Philadelphia, PA

Learn more and register.

You can be an event host, an activity sponsor or simply attend one of the many events around our area, including our own “STEMposium” on October 30th.

Learn more.

We would like to encourage our partners and collaborators to celebrate the week alongside us by hosting an event that supports and showcases opportunities and diversity in STEM. Events must be in-person and should showcase regional STEM educational activities, promote local career opportunities, celebrate innovators of all ages, and/or highlight how STEM can be utilized to improve our neighborhoods!

PSEC is offering a limited number of $250 and $500 awards to event hosts across Philadelphia. These mini-grants are intended to help offset the costs of hosting an activity. If you are interested in being a host, please click HERE. Deadline to apply for being a host and/or for an award is September 30, 2025.

For more information contact Betsy Payne, Manager Philadelphia STEM Ecosystem.

The ATP will bring together 20-25 participants from Philadelphia colleges, universities, and nonprofits to build capacity for lasting change in STEM education. To participate, please fill out this short PSEC-PULSE Interest Form. The national PULSE Ambassador team will the review applications and select individuals to participate in the regional PSEC-PULSE ATP. Responses must be submitted by Monday, July 14th. Keep a look out for an email containing additional information and details.

For more information, contact David Zuzga, PSEC’s Co-chair Post-secondary Education Workgroup and Associate Dean of Biomedical Studies at the Wistar Institute at dzuzga@wistar.org.

Counted Out investigates the biggest crises of our time—political polarization, racial and economic inequity, global pandemic, and climate change—through the unexpected lens of math. Don’t miss this chance to be part of an important and timely conversation!

MORE ABOUT THE DOCUMENTARY: In the 21st century, our world is dominated by technology, data, and algorithms, yet we maintain the persistent myth that not everyone is a “math person.” Can changing our minds about math revolutionize who has power—and who is counted out?

In our current information economy, math is everywhere. The people we date, the news we see, the influence of our votes, the candidates who win elections, the education we have access to, the jobs we get—all of it is underwritten by an invisible layer of math that few of us understand, or even notice.

Through a mosaic of personal stories, expert interviews, and scenes of math transformation in action, Counted Out shows what’s at risk if we keep the status quo. Do we want an America in which most of us don’t consider ourselves “math people”? Where math proficiency goes down as students grow up? Or do we want a country where anyone can understand the math that undergirds our society—and can help shape it?

Join members of the STEM Equity Collective for a free screening of this documentary and a discussion to follow.

Date and Time: Saturday, April 5, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Location: The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA 19103 (Auditorium at the Academy of Natural Sciences)

Learn more and register.

This free event is designed to showcase a wide range of STEM program offerings and engaging activities available in our area for students from early childhood to 12th grade. From robotics to STEM in the kitchen to cosmetic chemistry, this is a fantastic opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of science and technology by learning through hands-on experiences. Don’t miss out on this enriching day filled with valuable resources and the wonders of STEM!

“Yeah, That’s STEM!” Community Day is being held at the Academy of Natural Sciences located at 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway.  Visit the Philadelphia STEM Equity Collective’s page for more information.  We encourage you to register in advance by clicking HERE.

In it you can search a variety of STEM opportunities and resources in the Greater Philadelphia area related to STEM employment, grants, internships and apprenticeships, among others. If you have an opportunity you want to share, you can also submit it by visiting the page.

And while you are there, don’t miss exploring the website for what’s new with the Philadelphia STEM Equity Collective! We hope you join us – it is easy, just go HERE.

For more information, contact Betsy Payne, Philadelphia STEM Ecosystem Manager.

Excitingly, the H&C Workgroup will be piloting the framework through guided workshops in March and April, 2025. This presents a valuable opportunity for enrichment program providers to engage with the framework, offer feedback, and conduct a self-assessment to identify areas for growth in their programs.

By working together, we can ensure that all Philadelphia students have access to high-quality and culturally responsive STEM education that meets their needs. If you are an OST STEM program provider interested in this project, go to our Interest Form so that we can keep you updated. Please share this opportunity far and wide with your networks. For more information, contact Betsy Payne, Philadelphia STEM Ecosystem Manager at spayne@philaedfund.org.

The first is taking our DEIB Practices Survey for Employers that aims to gather insights and reflections on your organization’s DEIB best practices. The survey will cover a range of topics, including recruitment strategies, employee support programs, training initiatives, and company culture. Your expertise and perspective will help us better understand best practices, challenges, and opportunities for improvement.

The survey takes approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. Your participation is completely voluntary, and all responses will be kept confidential by a third-party facilitator. Please complete the survey HERE by Friday, October 18 at 11:59 pm.

The second opportunity is to invite you to participate in our forum on STEM Employer – our DEIB Best Practices Forum on October 30th from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm in conjunction with our STEMposium: To Inclusion and Beyond. The Forum will convene Human Resources and DEIB representatives from STEM employers in multiple sectors to discuss the practices they sustain or the barriers they face in their efforts to recruit, develop and retain diverse talent. By bringing the perspective of Workforce development programs and job seekers, the forum will explore areas of existing alignment or opportunities across, employers, talent and workforce development organizations and job seekers exploring the criteria each value most. The space is limited – to register please go HERE.

For more information, please contact Diana Lievano, PSEC’s Executive Director.

Learn more.

The event is on Wednesday, October 30 from 12:00 – 5:30pm at the University City Science Center (the Quorum, 3675 Market Street, Suite 200, Philadelphia), and it will be an opportunity to recognize the work being done by PSEC members, center the experiences of young people on STEM pathways entering the workforce, and surface new scholarship around STEM equity.

For more information, and to register for the various events, please visit our page at Philadelphia STEM Equity Week. If you have any questions please contact Betsy Payne, Philadelphia STEM Ecosystem Manager.

You can be an event host, an activity sponsor or simple attend one of the many events around our area. Events can showcase STEM educational activities, promote job or other opportunities, celebrate innovators of all ages, and/or improve neighborhoods using STEM! PSEC is offering a limited number of $250 and $500 awards to events hosts across Philadelphia.

Learn more.

We also have a great Event Calendar for STEM related activities.

If you have any questions or would like to add to our resources, please contact Betsy Payne at spayne@philaedfund.org.

The Philadelphia STEM Equity Collective invites current 9th to 11th grade Philadelphia high school students to apply to its Student Advisory Council (SAC). Students may come from any Philadelphia public, parochial, charter, private, or home school.

As a member of SAC students will:

• Be a leader by discussing and representing their views and those of their peers at PSEC Workgroup Meetings, Steering Committee Meetings, and SAC meetings.
• Brainstorm strategies and provide feedback on initiatives created by PSEC.
• Be part of the decision-making, alongside community leaders, to drive change and benefit the Philadelphia’s underrepresented populations.
• Meet with other student leaders across the region.

PSEC’s 10-year goal is to have 100% of STEM careers in Philadelphia be demographically proportional to the population of working-age Philadelphians. Youth voice is crucial for the success of this initiative, so please share this information with students.

The SAC application deadline is Friday, March 1st, 2024.

The details and application can be found HERE.

For additional information, contact Betsy Payne at spayne@philaedfund.org.

In 2023, ImpactEd conducted a mixed-method “process evaluation.” Its objectives were to 1) understand the extent to which the key conditions of collective impact are being implemented by PSEC; and 2) identify early indicators of progress toward the long-term goal of increasing the number of Black, Latinx and women Philadelphians in STEM careers.

You can read more about this process evaluation, its methodologies, and its findings HERE.

Hear From Our Youth aims to increase the representation and visibility of Philadelphian STEM students. It is part of PSEC’s Yeah, That’s STEM! campaign, the goal of which is to expand awareness of opportunities for under-represented communities and cultivate their agency in sustainable careers.

Please share this short survey with your students. For more information, contact Kade Shippy, PSEC’s Student Communications Liaison at kadeshippy@gmail.com.

We expect the SAC to have the twelve members that will help guide strategies and provide feedback on their effectiveness for the beneficiaries of the Collective. The SAC will be a diverse group of students representative of the Philadelphia region who champion our goal to increase the number of Black, Latinx and female Philadelphians entering STEM careers by 2030.

Student participation is so important that two students from the council will be part of the Collective’s Steering Committee. The Collective’s 10-year goal is to have 100% of STEM careers in Philadelphia be demographically proportional to the population of working-age Philadelphians. Youth voice is crucial for the success of this initiative, and we invite students to apply and be part of our success.

To apply, go HERE,

Application deadline is May 5th, 2023.

For more information, contact Betsy Payne at spayne@philaedfund.org.

The contemporary and dynamic campaign to launch our new brand and digital platforms is called “Yeah, that’s STEM!” Our goal is to expand awareness for this important initiative and provide opportunities for under-represented communities to have agency in sustainable careers and in important work that dominates our future.

For more information on the media campaign, contact Communications Manager, Heather Conboy at hconboy@philaedfund.org.

Our meetings are held on the third Monday of every month from 12-1 PM (except on holidays, when the meeting is pushed back one week). On February 27 we will continue to discuss and design our online, two-way directory of industry partners and education programs.

This meeting is open to everyone. To register and get the Zoom link for the February meeting HERE.

To learn more about RISE, go HERE.