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GEAR UP Funding
The Department issued a notice inviting applications (NIA) for fiscal year 2021 (FY21) for the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) Partnership Grants. GEAR UP is a discretionary grant designed to help eligible low-income students, including students with disabilities, in obtaining a secondary school diploma and prepare for postsecondary education. Activities must include postsecondary financial aid information, reduce remediation at the postsecondary level, and improve the number of students who obtain a secondary school diploma, complete applications, and enroll in postsecondary education. Activities may include mentoring; tutoring; dual or concurrent enrollment programs for students in STEM; academic and career counseling; financial and economic literacy education; and exposure to college campuses. Applications are due June 28, 2021.
HSI-STEM Funding Opportunity
The Department issued an NIA for new awards for FY21 for the Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) STEM and Articulation Program. This competition specifically acknowledges the importance of student-centered programs that will increase the number of Hispanic and low-income students who graduate with degrees in STEM fields, as well as the need to promote support systems to ensure that community college students will continue to pursue STEM degrees once enrolled at a four-year institution. There is one absolute priority (increase STEM degrees), two competitive preference priorities (offer work-based learning and enhanced retention strategies) and one invitational priority (wrap-around services for students impacted by COVID-19). Applications are due June 14, 2021.
This is not an all-inclusive list.
STEM Apprenticeship Grants to Support Women
The U.S. Department of Labor announced a new funding opportunity of $3.5 million for up to 10 grants to increase and retain the number of women in quality Registered Apprenticeship Programs and nontraditional occupations such as those in the manufacturing, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and healthcare industries. The grants will support community-based organizations to provide technical assistance to employers and labor unions to encourage employment of women via apprenticeships and other skills training programs. Applications are due June 4, 2021.
NASA Informal STEM Funding Opportunity
The NASA Office of STEM Engagement invites proposals from museums, science centers, planetariums, NASA Visitor Centers, youth-serving organizations, libraries, and other eligible nonprofit institutions via the 2021 NASA Teams Engaging Affiliated Museums and Informal Institutions (TEAM II) Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). Proposals for Community Anchor Awards ranging from $20K to $25K for 1-2 years are due June 17, 2021 and proposals for Standard Awards ranging from $500K to $800K for 2-4 years are due July 19, 2021.
Racial Equity in STEM Education
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR) seeks to support bold, ground-breaking, and potentially transformative projects addressing systemic racism in STEM. Proposals should be led by, or developed and led in authentic partnership with, individuals and communities most impacted by the inequities caused by systemic racism. Proposals should advance racial equity in STEM education and workforce development through research and practice. Contexts may include, but are not limited to: preK-12, two- and four-year undergraduate, and graduate institutions; municipal organizations; STEM workplaces; and informal STEM contexts, such as museums, community organizations, and media. Full proposals are due July 13 and October 12, 2021 and March 22, 2022.
Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program
NSF issued a request for applications (RFA) to recruit, prepare and retain highly effective K-12 STEM teachers and teacher leaders in high -need school districts. There are five tracks that include stipends, scholarships, fellowships, research, and capacity building. Eligible entities include Institutions of Higher Education, including Community Colleges and non-profit organizations offering teacher preparation or residency programs. Estimated funding is $67 million for approximately 55 to 70 awards from two to five years. Full proposals are due August 31, 2021.
Department of Navy STEM Education & Workforce Program
The Office of Naval Research (ONR) is interested in receiving a broad range of proposals for augmenting existing and/or developing innovative solutions that directly maintain, and/or cultivate a diverse, world-class STEM workforce to maintain the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps’ technological superiority. The funding opportunity announcement (FOA) explicitly encourages programs that improve the capacity of education systems and communities to create impactful STEM educational experiences for students of all ages and the naval related workforce. Estimated funding is $12 million and grants can range from $50,000 to $600,000. Applications are due October 8, 2021.
 Under the Microscope: 2019 NAEP Science Results
Join the National Assessment Governing Board and the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) for a virtual event with discussion and analysis of the 2019 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Science results for grades 4, 8, and 12. Register here for the May 25, 2021, event.
Exploring Science and Math Performance Data through ED Data Express
ED Data Express (EDE) is the Department’s website designed to improve the public's ability to access and explore high-value state- and district-level education data collected by the Department. The site is designed to be interactive and to present the data in a clear, easy-to-use manner, with options to download information or manipulate the data within the website. In the “Explore” section of the website, you can select your state of interest on the map and scroll down to see a graph that highlights performance gaps in science and math. ED staff continue to work to improve the site to make sure it meets your needs. Please send suggestions, questions, and concerns to eddataexpress@ed.gov.
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ED Games Expo 2021
The 8th annual ED Games Expo will be a virtual national event from June 1-5, 2021. The Expo is a showcase of game-changing education technologies developed through programs at ED and other federal agencies. During the Expo and the month of June, educators and students will be able to demo more than 150 learning games and technologies at no cost. More than 20 government agencies are presenting 35 online events featuring innovative projects and initiatives in the field of EdTech. The events are designed for a wide audience of viewers, including educators, students, parents and caregivers, developers, researchers, and stakeholders, with engaging, timely, and relevant content. See the Agenda for the line-up of events and for registration for certain events. The Expo is free and open to the public.
American Rescue Plan Elementary & Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) Tools
The Office of Elementary and Secondary Education maintains a website with numerous resources for states and school districts to administer the $122 billion ARP ESSER funds to help safely reopen and sustain the safe operation of schools and address the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the Nation’s students. The Fact Sheet outlines state education agency (SEA) and local education agency (LEA) set-asides for evidenced-based interventions, such as summer and afterschool STEM activities, that address student academic and social-emotional needs post pandemic. Most recently, the Department released an ARP ESSER application template. States must submit their State plans by June 7, 2021.
Best Practices Clearinghouse for Reopening Schools and Campuses
The Department launched the Safer Schools and Campuses Best Practices Clearinghouse (the Clearinghouse), a website that highlights the innovative work underway nationwide in continuing to reopen K-12 schools, early childhood centers and postsecondary institutions. Through the Clearinghouse, the Department is providing examples of how schools and other educational institutions can safely reopen as communities continue recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. ED welcomes additional lessons learned and best practices from the field, including implementation of engaging STEM activites and instruction, for consideration for the Clearinghouse, including those with an educational equity focus. Submissions should be sent via email to: Bestpracticesclearinghouse@ed.gov.
National Summer Learning & Enrichment Collaborative
The Department launched the Summer Learning & Enrichment Collaborative (the Collaborative) that serves as a professional learning community that brings together relevant stakeholders to help states use more than $1.2 billion of the American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding to build evidence-based summer programs, including STEM-based programs, that address the lost instructional and extracurricular time students may have experienced as a result of the pandemic, especially underserved students and those disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
NEW: What Works Clearinghouse Practice Guides
The Department’s Institute of Education Sciences’ What Works Clearinghouse released two new Practice Guides. The What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) reviews the existing research on different programs, products, practices, and policies in education. Our goal is to provide educators with the information they need to make evidence-based decisions. We focus on the results from high-quality research to answer the question “What works in education?”
You for Youth STEAM Course
The Department’s You for Youth (Y4Y) technical assistance portal for the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers has recently updated its STEAM course for educators by incorporating the arts for a more comprehensive STEAM educational approach. Summertime is an ideal time for experiential, interdisciplinary, inquiry-based projects where creativity and collaboration mimic real-world careers ranging from fashion design to space exploration. The updated Y4Y STEAM course offers the skills and knowledge for educators to guide students on their STEAM pathways.
Green Ribbon Schools Announced
Across the country, 27 schools, three early learning centers, five districts, and five postsecondary institutions are being honored for their innovative efforts to: 1) reduce environmental impact and utility costs; 2) improve health and wellness; and, 3) ensure effective sustainability education as Green Ribbon Schools. Resources, including American Rescue Plan funding, for all schools to move toward the these goals can be found here.
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Mark Your Calendar
Advanced Manufacturing: Industry of the Future
June 18, 2021, 12:00 – 1:30 PM ET
Recently Archived STEM Webinars
Summertime STEM, May 4 – Summertime learning can be a fun and rewarding experience for students and educators. Learn from our dedicated panel of researchers, funders, and practitioners as we discuss the benefits of Summertime STEM learning and discover evidenced-based resources and best practices that can be implemented in your community.
Differing Abilities in STEM, March 25 – featuring Dr. Temple Grandin. Students of all abilities can be successful in the STEM economy and should be encouraged to pursue STEM experiences, coursework, and career paths. Watch Dr. Temple Grandin and esteemed panelists explore how to create inclusive STEM environments for students of all abilities to be successful. Learn what the Department and others are doing to expand access for all abilities in STEM education and innovation.
For all archived STEM briefing presentations, check out ed.gov/STEM.
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STEM for All Video Showcase
During this free 8-day STEM Video Showcase event, you can view short videos depicting ED and other federally funded, cutting-edge, projects that are improving STEM and CS education. You are invited to discuss the videos online with the presenters and other visitors and vote for your favorite presentations for the public choice award. Thousands of researchers, educators, higher ed faculty, and parents will take part. Sign up for updates. We look forward to your participation May 11- 18, 2021.
Smithsonian Releases Vaccines & Us Community Response Guide
The Smithsonian’s Vaccines & Us initiative helps people make informed decisions about COVID‑19 vaccines. The Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC) is supporting educators and young people through the Vaccines! How can we use science to help our community make decisions about vaccines? community response guide. Through the Smithsonian Science for Global Goals project’s transdisciplinary approach to learning, students learn: the history of vaccine science; how they work; how they are developed; issues of equity, access, and misinformation; and, develop an action plan for addressing vaccine concerns in their communities. Educators can register for May 13, 2021 webinars to help use this content with their students.
Summer Camp Training: Mission to Mars Student Challenge
Camp leaders - immerse your youth in the latest exploration of Mars with NASA’s Mission to Mars Student Challenge for Summer Camps! A 7-week series of hands-on activities take youth from learning about Mars, planning a mission, launch and landing, and exploring the surface – all while following the Perseverance Rover’s current exploration of Mars! A series of live one-hour trainings (also recorded for later viewing) will show you how to guide your youth through activities from each phase of the challenge. Attend one or all – with variety of activity styles, from hands-on to on-line, that will spur campers’ interests in the science, engineering, and art of exploring Mars. Register today! No prior STEM experience is necessary!
Need more space?
Did you know that NASA has a weekly newsletter for educators and students? Keep up with the latest NASA STEM opportunities with the NASA EXPRESS newsletter. Each Thursday, subscribers receive information about internships, competitions, lesson ideas, webinars and more. Find ways to bring NASA current events into the classroom and make real-world connections to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics concepts. Subscribe today.
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Learning the Metric System
Get to know metric! The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is hosting a webinar for educators on May 22, 2021 to highlight free resources that K-12 teachers can use to get their students familiar with the metric system, an essential part of science and technology around the world.
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For students, NIST released its latest educational content on the metric system featuring NIST’s SI Superhero Measurement League, which consists of seven superheroes representing the measurement units of the modern metric system, known as the SI (International System of Units). The latest video episode allows the audience to play along. You can find the new episode on YouTube and the NIST website. To view the previous episodes, click here.
STEM Teacher Workshop: African Americans & Biomedical Research - From Research Subjects to Researchers
Join the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) on May 25-26, 2021 as we use mathematics and data analysis to investigate the history of African American participation in biomedical research. While the workshop is designed for middle and high school STEM and history teachers, all 3rd-12th grade teachers regardless of their background knowledge are welcome to register and participate. Attendance and participation are expected from 4:00-6:00 PM ET each day. Learn more and register here.
Narratives of African American STEM Professionals
The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) invites middle and high school students to explore careers in STEM via video conversations with current African American STEM professionals.“Through the Window and into the Mirror” aims to inform, inspire, and be a starting point for students as they take steps towards having careers in STEM.Parents and educators can find more STEM at NMAAHC.
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Please send questions on which the Department can be helpful to COVID-19@ed.gov.
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