TGR Foundation selected to strengthen national K-16 STEM education, outreach

$75M Department of Defense initiative will fund more than a dozen organizations

TGR Foundation is excited to announce a partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to drive forward its mission to encourage students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The Department of Defense’s recently-launched Defense STEM Education Consortium (DSEC) will strengthen kindergarten through college STEM education and outreach programs across the United States.

The DSEC initially includes 15 organizations led on behalf of the DoD STEM office by RTI International under the direction of Dr. Angela Quick. The multi-year, $75 million effort includes elements focused on STEM enrichment programs for students and educators, STEM workforce engagement, program evaluation, and public outreach (www.dodstem.us).

“The U.S. needs a diverse pipeline of highly qualified STEM talent to meet future workforce demands and remain a global leader in technological innovation. Providing students with a strong K-16 STEM education is the first step,” said Quick, the DSEC consortium chair and director of RTI’s Center for Education Services. “We are thrilled to work with this group of partners to increase STEM engagement and improve outcomes for students pursuing STEM careers.”

Aligned to the DoD STEM strategic plan, DSEC will focus on five fundamentals: 1) longitudinal student engagement across the K-16 continuum, 2) outreach to students traditionally underrepresented in STEM professions, 3) military workforce engagement with a focus on DoD research laboratories, 4) use of the network’s collaboration structure to amplify the impact of each program, and 5) data-based improvement driven by evaluation.

As a part of DSEC, TGR Foundation will expand its current STEM professional-development program by expanding to new markets and creating a digital platform where educators can learn critical STEM teaching strategies, discover resources to improve student engagement and learning and collaborate with a network of like-minded peers to improve practice.

“In a time where careers in STEM are growing rapidly, it is important that we educate all young people on the skills necessary for them to achieve future success,” said Dr. Katherine Bihr, Vice President of Programs and Education at TGR Foundation. “We are proud to be partnering with the DoD’s Defense STEM Education Consortium as we equip educators and students with the instructional resources necessary to level the educational playing field.”

The DSEC network includes the following organizations:

• American Institutes for Research (AIR)
• Building Engineering & Science Talent (BEST)
• Center for Excellence in Education (CEE)
• Dayton Regional STEM Center
• For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST)
• MATHCOUNTS
• Morgan State University, Center for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Education
• National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT)
• National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI)
• RTI International (RTI) – lead organization
• Society for Science & the Public (Society)
• Teaching Institute for Excellence in STEM (TIES)
• TGR Foundation, A Tiger Woods Charity
• University of California, San Diego, CREATE
• USA Science and Engineering Festival (USASEF)

For more information about TGR Foundation’s participation in DSEC, please contact Reshma Melwani, Director of Programs Marketing and Communications.

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