Help out Utah’s children and volunteer today.
With STEM (science, tech, engineering, math) jobs opening at unprecedented rates, a popular rallying cry has overtaken Utah: kids need more access to STEM opportunities. Here at Silicon Slopes, we couldn’t agree more and thankfully, we’re not alone.
The STEM Partners Foundation is a charitable organization that believes strongly in strengthening STEM education, having paired with a long list of companies (Adobe, EnergySolutions, IM Flash, Dell EMC, and more) to push this vision. As part of this STEM-based mindset, the STEM Partners Foundation began work one year ago on a mobile app that would connect Utah’s teachers with industry volunteers, an avenue for kids to learn from real-life STEM experts.
That mobile app is now live on Google Play and the App Store — it’s called the STEM Mentor Exchange (STEM MX) and with the help of Utah’s tech community, kids are going to have opportunities like never before.
“This has been a volunteer effort and I can’t emphasize that enough,” said Brent Petersen, President/CEO of STEM Partners Foundation. “This is industry giving to education, making it possible to connect and provide resources or talent for educators, all the things they need to prepare their students for careers that are being created.”
If you’re reading this, you are connected with Utah’s tech and startup community. This means you would make a perfect volunteer on STEM MX — sign up, define what skills you have, how much time you can volunteer, and connect with teachers who have need of your services. This can come in a variety of ways (teach computer coding, provide guest lectures, assist with special projects, science fairs, industry tours, work-based learning experiences, etc.) but the most important part is making yourself available as a volunteer to Utah’s children. Providing STEM opportunities doesn’t happen automatically, so please do what you can to get involved.
“Every year we have more STEM-skilled job openings than graduates able to take those positions, especially in the field of computer science,” said Vance Checketts, Vice President and General Manager at Dell EMC. “STEM MX can help fill this gap by enabling our employees to build relationships with teachers, supporting their great work and producing the workforce we need.”
