At White House Science Fair, Obama Pledges $240 Million For STEM
by March 23, 2015 9:54 am 256 views
At today’s 2015 White House Science Fair, President Obama is set to announce over $240 million in new private-sector commitments to improve STEM education. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.
The President’s “Educate to Innovate” campaign has resulted in over $1 billion in financial and in-kind support for STEM programs, according to the White House communications office.
The announcements being made today include:
· $150 million philanthropic effort to empower a diverse cadre of promising early-career scientists to stay on track to become scientific leaders of tomorrow;
· $90 million “Let Everyone Dream” campaign to expand STEM opportunities to under-represented youth;
· $25 million Department of Education competition to create science and literacy themed media that inspires students to explore;
· 120 universities and colleges committing to train 20,000 engineers to tackle the “Grand Challenges” of 21st century; and,
· CEO coalition Change the Equation committing to expand effective STEM programs to an additional 1.5 million students this year.
As part of the Fair, approximately 35 student teams will have the opportunity to exhibit their projects at the White House. The President will personally view some of these projects, which range from breakthrough basic research to new inventions. The President will also deliver remarks to the students, along with invited science educators and business leaders, on the importance of STEM education to our Nation’s economic future.
Additional information on the projects, students, and competitions recognized at the Fair can be found here.