Big news for Sci-Port Discovery Center this week! The riverfront facility has been awarded one of the nine regional STEM centers by the Louisiana Board of Regents as part of the LaSTEM Regional STEM Network. STEM, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, is being promoted as a spark for economic ingenuity and innovation and as a launch pad for the technologies that cover a vast majority of high wage high occupations. The Louisiana Regional STEM Network has envisioned a statewide system of STEM leadership entities strategically positioned across Louisiana to promote STEM education, awareness, and opportunities to meet workforce demands and future needs.
Region 7 will encompass ten parishes in Northwest Louisiana: Caddo, Bossier, Webster, Claiborne, Lincoln, Bienville, Red River, DeSoto, Sabine, and Natchitoches. The creation of collective regional and statewide networking aligns with the five-year STEM strategic plan published by the Executive Office of the President of the United States coordinated through the Office of Science and Technology in 2018.
“In order to compete on a global scale, our residents need access to STEM education and resources. It is imperative for everyone to have digital access and be familiar with technology. STEM is in our everyday world whether we realize it or not” states Dr. Heather Kleiner, Sci-Port Discovery Center’s Sponsored Programs Manager. “Students equipped with STEM knowledge and skills help provide a workforce prepared to meet the challenges of the future,” states Dianne Clark, Executive Director of Sci-Port Discovery Center.
Goals include:
- Build Strong Foundations for STEM Literacy by ensuring that every American has the opportunity to master basic STEM concepts and to become digitally literate.
- Increase Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in STEM and provide all Americans with lifelong access to high-quality STEM education, especially those historically underserved and underrepresented in STEM fields and employment.
- Prepare the STEM Workforce for the Future—both college-educated STEM practitioners and those working in skilled trades that do not require a four-year degree—by creating authentic learning experiences that encourage and prepare learners to pursue STEM careers.
Although the new Louisiana Regional STEM Director will be headquartered at Sci-Port, the director will work in conjunction with Sci-Port Discovery Center, the North Louisiana STEM Alliance, and numerous other businesses and organizations to help develop STEM advocacy for Region 7 and throughout the state of Louisiana. Applications for the regional STEM director position are being taken now and are available online at www.sci-port.org
