Whitmer Awards $2.7 Million To Three Michigan Schools To Expand STEM Programs
(CBS DETROIT) - Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced that three Michigan schools will receive about $900,000 each, or a combined $2.7 million total, in funding to support the statewide K-12 expansion of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.
The three schools that will be receiving this funding include Kalamazoo RESA, Grand Valley State University, and Washtenaw ISD.
"STEM education opportunities are critical as we prepare young Michiganders for high-tech, high-skill careers that will serve as the backbone of Michigan's economy," said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. "These investments are critical to ensure our schools have the funds to help each and every Michigander reach their full potential. And in my budget recommendation for next year, I have proposed the biggest per-student investment ever and $1 billion for school construction and renovation so we can keep funding and building more computer labs, classrooms, and science facilities to help our kids pursue their potential."
According to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, STEM careers had median wages in 2020 that were more than double that of non-STEM occupations.
In addition to this, Michigan has the 4th largest engineering, design and development (EDD) workforce in the nation, with over 113,000 employed in related industries in 2020.
Approved by the Michigan STEM (MiSTEM) Advisory Council within the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) and administered by the Michigan Department of Education, the grants will be awarded to:
- Kalamazoo RESA to elevate mathematics as the language of STEM and provide a tool for STEM exploration;
- Grand Valley State University to expand access to, and highlight the importance of, high-quality computer science experiences; and
- Washtenaw ISD to ensure students have science and engineering literacy as a 21st century skill.
The MiSTEM Advisory Council was created in 2015 by the Michigan Legislature to help the state of Michigan become a leader in STEM education.
For more information on the MiSTEM Advisory Council and the MiSTEM Network, visit www.michigan.gov/mistem.
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