Earlier this month, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Congressmen Mike Honda (D-CA) and Joe Kennedy (D-MA) introduced, the STEM Gateways Act (S. 1796), that would create a grant program targeting science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education for women, minorities and economically disadvantaged students. The legislation would provide funding through the U.S. Department of Education for classroom activities, extra-curricular and after-school learning, summer programs, student tutoring and mentoring, and professional development for educators.
It has been reported that minorities account for only three out of 10 professionals in the STEM fields. Additionally, students from economically disadvantaged communities struggle to access STEM opportunities, with a large majority of federal resources going to higher education institutions where these populations are significantly underrepresented.
According to Senator Gillibrand, “If we’re going to compete and win in the global economy, we must prepare our students with the education they need for the jobs of the future. That starts with getting more talented young women, minorities, and students in high-need communities into the STEM pipeline. We are relying on our children today to be the innovators of tomorrow. It’s our job to make sure they are prepared.”
The bill text can be found at: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-113s1796is/pdf/BILLS-113s1796is.pdf.
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