October 26, 2023
This brief, developed in collaboration by the STEM Next Opportunity Fund and Jobs for the Future (JFF), shares replicable examples and lessons aimed at broadening access to STEM outside of the K-12 school day and reaching students in communities that are underrepresented in STEM jobs that offer family-sustaining wages. The focus is on the out-of-school time (OST) field, in particular OST programs with high-quality STEM programming as indispensable to building the STEM economy that we need and where our young people can thrive.
We are advancing evidence-based policy to enact changes in the education system and the workforce. Nearly half of U.S. workers are in low-paying jobs. Systemic issues in education, employment, and workforce development prevent millions of…
Analysis of 9,500 students from JFF and Persistence Plus highlights potential for AI-powered student support to improve persistence for STEM students
Accelerating our education pathways systems toward equitable economic advancement. Today’s education ecosystem must meet the needs of today’s learners. This means learner-centered outcomes, pathways between education and careers, and policies and practices that support both…
