Participate and share: Interactive session 
The purpose of this presentation is for participants to recognize and identify organizations and resources that already exist in their communities that can benefit students’ learning in STEM. Participants will plan ways to connect those existing providers and opportunities to students and each other. Participants will leave with a collaboratively built document of ideas and groups they may seek out in their home states, as well as a planning model and logic model to start brainstorming possible connections and implementation strategies. Evidence of success will be indicated by participation and collaboration and sharing STEM ideas and assets that could be utilized or duplicated by other participants.
Participants will spend significant time considering places that students can engage with learning outside the traditional classroom setting. Outdoor learning, public library programming, preschool programs, university programs, and more can be essential parts of immersing students in STEM learning that will be significant and memorable. Brainstorming ways to fund and envision this kind of flexible learning environment will be a major part of participant outcomes.
-Introduction of participants and their role in the STEM network (5 minutes)
-History of STEM education and opportunities in our rural PA district and community (5 minutes)
--Device-based question board
-What does our STEM ecosystem look like now (as we are still building it) and where are we planning to go in the future (10 minutes)
--Device-based question board
-Who are your community partners? (10 minutes)
--Utilizing and connecting with your community
--How your local IU can help you (we anticipate having members of our local IU present to share their perspective and what they can offer)
--Participation in collaborative document, peer-to-peer interaction and discussion
-Hurdles to anticipate (5 minutes)
--Time, materials, funding
--Shift in mentality
--Identifying needs in your community
--Participation in collaborative document, peer-to-peer interaction and discussion
-Importance of utilizing local businesses and grant opportunities (5 minutes)
--Device-based question board
-Questions and answers (5 minutes)
--Device-based question board
-Participant brainstorming/continued work in collaborative documents (10 minutes)
--Research international STEM ecosystems near you
-Possible STEM material giveaways (5 minutes)
When You Wonder, You're Learning: Mister Rogers' Enduring Lessons for Raising Creative, Curious, Caring Kids by Gregg Behr and Ryan Rydzewski
http://remakelearning.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/KW-Tomorrow-report.pdf
STEM Learning Ecosystems Recognized in $52 Billion Plan to Reinvigorate Economy Research, development and innovation are key priorities in bipartisan legislation from stemecosystems.org
https://stemecosystems.org/press-release/recognized-in-52-billion-plan/
U.S. Senators Introduce ‘Strengthening STEM Ecosystems’ from stemecosystems.org
https://stemecosystems.org/resource/strengthening-stem-ecosystems/
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