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    • Pennsylvania’s Chief Science Officer (CSO) Program Seeking Participating Schools

    Posted by PA Chief Science Officers on May 6, 2025

    Have you heard? Pennsylvania has a statewide Chief Science Officer (CSO) Program! CSOs are students in 6th to 12th grade who demonstrate an interest in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM), and/ or innovation and have a desire to impact their community. CSOs are elected by their peers to be liaisons for STEM and innovation in their schools and community.

    Program Goals:

    • Create a global network of diverse STEM leaders.
    • Foster communication and collaboration among CSOs.
    • Enrich school STEM culture and career awareness.
    • Amplify student voice in STEM conversations in the community.

    Individual CSO Goals:

    • Bring STEM opportunities to their peers.
    • Be a voice for their schools.
    • Bring change to their communities.

    This year, 25 out of 29 Intermediate Units (IUs) launched or expanded their CSO Cabinets. This growth has led to 121 schools and 491 students participating in the CSO Program. The PA CSO Program addresses the following STEM education challenges:

    • STEM Student Engagement Attrition
    • K-16 to Workforce Skills Gap Discrepancy
    • Over-rewarding of formulaic problem solving
    • Shrinking Teacher Pipeline (especially in STEM/CS)

    Previous PA CSOs have shared that being a CSO has allowed them to

    • advocate for STEM outreach,
    • enrich other people and themselves,
    • have an opportunity to make a difference, bring STEM to their community, and grow people’s awareness of STEM,
    • be a leader and develop their leadership skills,
    • be a representative for their peers, family and community, and
    • be a role model for younger students.

    To learn more, view this slide deck from a recent conference presentation, watch this PA CSO Program overview video or check out the PA CSO Website. Recruitment for CSOs for the 2025-2026 school year is currently underway.

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