STEM Committee
The Alaska Afterschool Network and our STEM partners are collaborating to push a statewide effort to increase quality science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning in afterschool programs throughout the state of Alaska. Currently only 66% of afterschool programs offer STEM learning opportunities. The Alaska Afterschool Network has formed a STEM Committee group to create statewide change to engage more youth in STEM. The purpose of the committee is to strengthen the overall current state of STEM learning in Alaska by focusing on three main goals.
In order to work toward these goals, the Alaska Afterschool Network STEM Committee has developed a strategic plan for moving forward:
1. Connecting afterschool program providers with STEM professionals
- Assemble a directory of professionals and youth programs
- Connect sites with professional speakers
- Establish a STEM professional mentor program
2. Creating a central hub for afterschool providers to share, collaborate, and utilize resources
- Launch a website platform where organizations in the state can access the necessary tools and share information with others programs
- Support programs that provide STEM learning via webinars, teleconferences, and newsletters
3. Cultivating equitable, culturally relevant professional development and training opportunities in STEM
- Offer a STEM-specific afterschool conference
- Develop statewide standards and choose an assessment tool to assist programs in monitoring quality
- Create a STEM certification program for providers