The Pennsylvania STEM Initiative was originally formed in 2007 after the Commonwealth was awarded one of six national STEM grants through the National Governors Association’s Innovation America initiative under the leadership of former Arizona Governor Janet Nepolitano. That grant was made possible by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Intel Foundation with matching investment provided by the Team Pennsylvania Foundation, Pennsylvania’s leading public-private economic development partnership.
It is the mission of the initiative to improve and align the Commonwealth's workforce, education and economic development systems to realize the Pennsylvania STEM Initiative vision of creating a globally competitive workforce with a robust supply of highly effective teachers and students who are well-prepared in STEM education by 2018.
As a part of the application, grant recipient states must establish long-term goals that will move the initiative toward the achieving its mission. Those Long-Term Goals are:
1. Increase the number and diversity of Pennsylvania’s students, residents and workers with high quality post-secondary STEM education and training.
2. Ensure that all graduates from Pennsylvania’s high schools meet or exceed proficiency in STEM content areas.
3. Diversify and increase the number of Pennsylvania teachers who are well prepared and highly-effective in providing STEM education.
4. Increase awareness of and commitment to STEM education as a priority for Pennsylvania.
