Washington, D.C.– U.S. economic growth is increasingly reliant on a qualified STEM workforce. To address this critical issue and eliminate the gap in STEM candidates, approximately 1,500 leaders from business, education and government convened in Washington, D.C. April 23 – 25 at the third annual U.S. News STEM Solutions National Leadership Conference.
The STEM movement’s only national leadership conference, U.S. News STEM Solutions focused on finding sustainable solutions for filling STEM jobs now and in the future. This year’s summit offered attendees 38 educational sessions around the theme “Where Employers and Educators Meet,” plus distinguished keynote speakers including: Freeman Hrabowski III, Ph.D., President, University of Maryland-Baltimore County; Hadi Partovi, Co-Founder and CEO, code.org; and Jack Andraka, First Place Winner, Intel Science Talent Search 2012.
Cementing its place as the nation’s premier showcase for everything STEM, the event also drew cutting-edge exhibitors such as BioDrill, MakerBot, Learning Blade, HotSeat, Studica, LEGO Education and Vernier Software & Technology.
“It’s a major success any time you can unite such a large, diverse crowd behind a common cause,” says Brian Kelly, Editor and Chief Content Officer of U.S. News & World Report. “But here’s the truly exciting part: Now, three years in, we’re seeing the real-world impact of new STEM initiatives.”
The conference also had the support of several major corporations, including Chevron, Texas Instruments, Chevrolet, Boeing and Raytheon. As major employers of STEM workers, these companies’ participation is crucial to the search for solutions.
U.S. News & World Report also released the first ever U.S. News/ Raytheon STEM Index at the conference. The new STEM Index shows that while STEM employment as defined by the U.S. government has gone up by more than 30 percent, from 12.8 million STEM jobs in 2000 to 16.8 million in 2013, high school student aptitude and interest in pursuing STEM has not kept pace with demand for STEM workers.
Quick to seize on the momentum gathered at this year’s event, organizers have announced that the 4th annual U.S. News STEM Solutions National Leadership Conference will take place June 29 – July 1, 2015 in San Diego, California. Home to a thriving biotech industry and a community of dedicated educators and activists, San Diego will offer attendees a chance to see STEM in action today while they work to forge the STEM workforce of tomorrow.
To view the U.S. News STEM Solutions 2014 photo gallery, visithttp://usnewsstemsolutions.com/photo-gallery.
