Cover Oregon settlement brings STEM grant to C. Oregon

The Oregon Community Foundation a nnounced Wednesday $459,308 in grants to seven regional STEM Hubs (science, technology, engineering and math) — one in Central Oregon — that support the development or expansion of Career Connected Learning focused on girls, low-income youth, youth of color and/or rural youth.

The grants were made from the $10 million donation Oracle is making to OCF in 2017 and 2018 as part of its Cover Oregon settlement with the state of Oregon. In addition to expanded CCL programming, each of the seven grantees raised required matching funds from local industry, foundations or government grants.

CCL gives students the opportunity to explore different pathways, develop work-related knowledge and skills and connect their classroom learning to the world of work within the STEM and CTE (Career and Technical Education) fields.

Initial grants awarded include one for $75,000 to Central Oregon STEM Hub in Redmond to align middle school electives with CTE-STEM opportunities at partner high schools while creating an authentic and relevant environment of career connected learning opportunities at the middle school level.

“Statistics show that students are making decisions about the career paths they’re interested in during middle school,” said Brook Rick, director of CTE and STEM for Central Oregon’s High Desert Education Service District. “If we give middle school students the opportunity to explore CTE and STEM-based classes early on, they will have a greater understanding of the career choices they make.”

According to Rich, this includes selecting a CTE program of study focus when they enter high school.

“Students who take at least one CTE credit in high school, graduate at a higher rate than their peers. Additionally, students who complete three or more credits in a high quality CTE program are 25% more likely to complete a postsecondary degree,” Rich said.

In addition to the grant awarded to Central Oregon, the following STEM Hubs also received grants:

South Metro-Salem STEM Partnership; Wilsonville $75,000 to establish and expand the suite of CCL experiences for underserved students in Salem and outlying southern regions of the South Metro-Salem STEM Hub. GO STEM Hub, La Grande; $19,950 as a planning grant to develop technology CCL opportunities for youth, educators and businesses in Eastern Oregon. Lane STEM, Eugene; $74,443 to support Elevate Lane County which provides a continuum of CCL opportunities (mostly technology-focused) for students and teachers and will be expanding those opportunities to include the health and advanced manufacturing industry. Mid-Valley Mid-Coast STEM/CTE Hub, Albany; $65,405 to expand the Pipeline Program, which (through collaboration with OSU and LBCC) provides a bridge from K-12 to post-secondary education and careers in CTE-STEM to rural and underserved populations in Linn and Benton counties. Northwest STEM Partnership, Hillsboro; $74,510 to close gaps and expand CCL programming throughout Clatsop, Columbia and Tillamook counties through activities including internship model expansion, college and career fairs, professional development, and OMIC alignment for teachers and students. Portland Metro STEM Partnership, Portland; $75,000 to adapt the Patterns Science Sequence curriculum to embed CCL into core content classes for all sophomores, juniors and seniors.

“OCF is proud to be a steward of this investment in STEM Hubs in Oregon,” said OCF President and CEO Max Williams. “This first round of grants creates a pathway for girls, low-income youth, youth of color and rural youth to aspire to and enter CTE-STEM fields and supports OCF’s efforts to close the opportunity gap that many Oregon children face.”

For more information about OCF’s grant programs, please visit https://www.oregoncf.org/grants-scholarships/grants.