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Maine STEM Collaborative


Question:

What strategies can we use to effectively communicate broad messages about the importance of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education to a wide range of Maine audiences using our limited resources?

  • Partner, partner, partner
  • STEM organizations coordinate on a month-long “speak-a-thon” (at rotaries, etc.)
  • Connect with all groups that have the same message and build common messages (GMRI)
  • Tap into trade associations – ABC, MBTA, etc.
  • Sell the sizzle
  • Use business to lead the way – i.e., career days w/different focus
  • Have a “STEM day” at schools, w/industry coming in
  • Bring K-12 students to college STEM programs/events
  • Increase STEM projects in K-12 classrooms (grants available)
  • Support science and engineering fairs and include businesses
  • Use DOE resources to start pilot programs (i.e., Falmouth’s STEM Academy)
  • Tap existing programs like junior achievement, etc. to incorporate STEM
  • Target parents to put some of the energy that goes into sports into STEM
  • Focus on the economy
  • Go big or go home! – paint a big vision and sell it
  • So little time in curriculum, need more focused programming
  • Encourage young STEM professionals to go into schools and do demos
  • School-wide competition on “cool” innovations
  • How do kids get information these days?
  • Utilize social media
  • Leverage membership and steering committee to get the word out
  • Have a “bulletin board  in a bag” to give to guidance counselors
  • Send out press releases for parents on job potential
  • Build the dialogue between HS and colleges
  • Have games for kids and cool links on different jobs  on STEM website
  • Include flash events
  • Convene / coordinate among other groups on public awareness campaign
  • Change name for public consumption – Math and Science for ME
  • Link to JMG, Junior Achievement, etc.
  • Promote cool geeks
  • Juice Conference
  • Divide and conquer – don’t own all the messages, use stakeholders

THEMES

  • Tie it into the future of Maine
  • Be the catalyst for centralization
  • Tap into organizations / associations
  • Tap into the “sizzle and cool quotient”
  • Make the messaging easy for partners
  • Partner,  partner, partner
  • Leverage social media
  • Leverage existing outlets