RTI Selected to Strengthen National K-16 STEM Education and Outreach

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — The U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD) 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.”

As the lead organization of DSEC, RTI will manage overall consortium facilitation, operations, communications and STEM program alumni studies.

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.

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)