Join the Philadelphia STEM Ecosystem

Posted by Philadelphia STEM Ecosystem on June 27, 2023

The Philadelphia STEM Ecosystem is one of over one-hundred international STEM Ecosystems supported by the STEM Funders Network and based on a collective impact model. Our backbone organization, the Philadelphia Education Fund (PEF) facilitates communication and connections among Ecosystem members and ensures the continuance of the local Ecosystem movement. Established in 2015 it has grown to over 800 members representing business, education, museums, government, among others. Over the past years the Ecosystem has created the Philadelphia STEM Education Directory, presented a STEM education Policy memo to the Biden administration, collaborated with member organizations on professional development and spearheaded “CS4Philly”, among others.

Since 2020, the Ecosystem has cultivated three major initiatives:

• Philadelphia STEM Equity Collective (PSEC). A partnership between and PEF and GSK within the Ecosystem, the Collective has already achieved very impressive accomplishments, including drafting a Theory of Change, establishing Workgroups, and actively engaging students, families, and communities. The Ecosystem and the Collective share the common objective of providing Philadelphians with equitable access to STEM education, resources, and opportunities.
• Pennsylvania Statewide STEM Ecosystem (PSSE). PSSE is a collection of STEM Ecosystems and STEM networks across Pennsylvania, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Education, that through purposeful cooperation and collaboration, focuses primarily on creating professional networks and a stable community of practice.
• Regional Industries and STEM Education (RISE).  RISE aims to help STEM industries navigate the Philadelphia STEM landscape, support meaningful STEM education, and cultivate the next generation of STEM professionals.  It also aims to provide STEM programs, teachers, and students with access to the resources and opportunities that local industries offer.

The Ecosystem is continually connecting people and organizations to improve STEM opportunities for Philly students and learners. Your voice is important! There are no fees or obligations to become a STEM Ecosystem member; members can simply be recipients of emails and announcements, or they can participate in Workgroups from either or both the Ecosystem and the Collective.

If you are interested, please go HERE to join.

if you have any questions or if you’d like to chat about possible collaborations, contact Betsy Payne, Manager, Philadelphia STEM Ecosystem at Spayne@philaedfund.org.