Science is Core
Together with our Advisory Council members and the Bay Area community of science centers, educators, researchers, and industry partners, we are working to advocate for policies and funding that prioritizes strengthening science teaching and learning for California's TK-12th grade students.
Please join our efforts and help to amplify the message: science and engineering learning experiences and role models are essential.
STEM Industry Ambassadors
Make Science Happen!
As leaders in the Bay Area and California science, technology, and engineering business community, we call upon state and local policy makers, school district leaders, and industry partners to ensure science is not left out of core K-12 academics during distance learning and as schools resume hybrid and in-person learning. Prior to the arrival of coronavirus, slow but steady progress had been taking place in California’s public schools, particularly in those serving elementary and middle school students in historically marginalized communities.
For too many elementary and middle school students, that progress has come to an abrupt halt during the shift to distance learning. We must act together now to ensure the resumption of robust science and engineering teaching.
There are many reasons to make early science learning a priority:
- Justice: Equality of opportunity, to overcome historical barriers that have for too long prevented women and people of color from entering STEM fields, demands that all students have robust, engaging learning experiences.
- Student outcomes: Science is where students bring together emerging math and language arts skills, applying what they notice, wonder, and observe to build new understanding and learn to think critically.
- Economic necessity: For California to remain a leader in the innovation economy, we can not afford to be missing the talent and creativity of our diverse next generation of inventors, researchers, problem solvers and climate stewards.
We have seen clearly during this pandemic: science literacy matters now more than ever. California’s school children all deserve access to high quality, standards-aligned, meaningful science learning experiences.
As policy leaders establish priorities for emerging from the pandemic, science learning must be included plans to revive and strengthen K-12 schools. This means funds for teacher training, curriculum, and materials.
Industry can be powerful partners, along with science centers, universities, and other community organizations, to stand up strong science learning opportunities for this generation of learners.
We call on fellow business and industry partners to join us, as we work together to Make Science Happen.
STEM Industry Signatories
Community Resources for Science
Executive Director
Progress in science teaching and learning for California's students could be in jeopardy. Everyone has a role to play in keeping science in the spotlight as a priority as plans for restarting schools take shape. Science centers and environmental education programs, scientists and STEM-related businesses, and political leaders can all be strong partners for schools. Teachers will need professional development and long term support; parents will need tools and resources to support learning at home. Together we can ensure the next generation of researchers, innovators, and problem solvers are prepared with the science literacy they will need to meet the opportunities and challenges of the future.
On behalf of our many colleagues and partners in the work of strengthening TK-12 science teaching and learning, we have submitted the following letter to California State legislative and policy leaders urging that science is recognized and funded as part of the academic core of TK-12 education.