STEM Education Summit: Building a Coalition for Attracting and Retaining a Diverse STEM Teaching Workforce

  • Participants stand around a table, listening to one speaker intently.
  • A man and woman stand together, mid-conversation.
  • A man and woman hug while giving the camera a thumbs up.

STEM Education Summit: Building a Coalition for Attracting and Retaining a Diverse STEM Teaching Workforce

The Smithsonian Science Education Center in collaboration with Shell USA, Inc. is hosts an annual STEM Education Summit to engage leadership teams throughout the US who have identified problems of practice related to attracting and retaining a diverse STEM teaching workforce. This Summit is a highly interactive experience, with a clear outcome at the end – giving education systems the tools to develop district-specific “action plans” for attracting and retaining minority STEM teachers to leadership roles while remaining in the classroom. 

The deadline to apply as a team or mentor for the Diversity in STEM Education Summit has passed. Please check back in the fall for more information about the 2024 Summit.

For questions, contact Sherrell Williams at WilliamsSM2@si.edu 

 

Information session

 Do you have questions about this Summit? Watch the recording of the information session here: 

 

Team Application Process

The deadline to apply for the 2023 Diversity in STEM Education Summit has passed. Please check back in the fall for details about next year's Summit.

Mentor Application Process

Mentors are critical to the success of the summit and the work to follow. They should be knowledgeable about STEM, education, and equity. If accepted, a mentor is paired with a team and commits to working with that group leading up to and during the summit as well as providing ongoing support thereafter. 

About the Initiative

This STEM Education Summit is only one component of a larger initiative that began in 2015 when the Smithsonian Science Education Center in partnership with Shell USA, Inc. convened a group of education organizations from around the nation to share and discuss proven strategies that have improved the recruitment, retention and engagement of educators from diverse backgrounds. From this meeting, a Steering Committee was formed and areas of potential work emerged: develop a playbook for district-level systems change; implement district-level systems change; and advance teacher leadership development.

Our ultimate goal for all of the work comprising this Initiative is to diversify the STEM teaching workforce and improve leadership opportunities for diverse STEM teachers through systems change. We are working to achieve this goal and supporting like-minded individuals to do the same.

About the Playbook

Cover for the playbook "Fostering Change: Ideas and Best Practices for Diversity in STEM Teaching in K-12 Classrooms"This publication addresses the second area of work identified by our steering committee: developing a playbook for district-level systems change. The playbook below captures some of the best practices for creating systems level change at the district level that have been proven successful in increasing the recruitment, retention and promotion of a diverse STEM teaching workforce.