Idaho North & North Central Ecosystem
Mission Statement for STEM INNC
The Idaho North & North Central Ecosystem (STEM INNC) coordinates and collaborates to build a strong ecosystem of partners to achieve access, equity, and inclusion in STEM for all.
Goals
- Facilitate alignment of programs offered by different partners
- Communicate with partners to raise awareness of STEM opportunities/programs
- Develop STEM collaborations within the region
- Ensure equitable access to STEM programs for all constituencies
- Build access to workforce development
- Support professional development of STEM educators
- Promote the statewide vision of the Idaho STEM ecosystem
Working Groups for STEM INNC
- Communication: Includes Hub Coordinator and others to provide overall strategies for email, social media, and/or other communication methods. This working group also monitors the work of a website development committee.
- Steering Committee: Includes Hub Coordinator and at least one representative from Communications Working Group, as well as others, to set goals, create governance structure, initiate any funding efforts, regulate expenditures, and align regional efforts with the state and national efforts.
An ecosystem embodies every aspect of a single habitat, including all interactions between its different elements.
Quoted from – https://biologydictionary.net/ecosystem/
Leadership Contacts
Erin Lanigan
HUB Coordinator
erin@idahostem.org
Steven Beyerlein
U of I Mechanical Engineering
sbeyer@uidaho.edu
Nick Madsen
Community Library Network Hayden Branch
nickm@communitylibrary.net
INNC Newsletters
- Erin Lanigan, HUB Coordinator – erin@idahostem.org
- Steven Beyerlein, University of Idaho Mechanical Engineering – sbeyer@uidaho.edu
Local [partners] know what is best for their community. And yet, there are untapped opportunities for local, regional and state school systems and community organizations to work together to provide high- quality STEM education for more students, particularly under-served and underrepresented students. Barriers to collaboration often include lack of time and resources, and lack of infrastructure. The STEM Learning Ecosystems Initiative provides the necessary support to help local [partners] with a common goal align their resources and efforts to maximize results for kids, teachers and parents—and to create systemic change in how the community prepares students for success through STEM. This effort addresses the decided lack of coordination within the field, a challenge that has stalled progress in closing equity gaps and dramatically improving students’ STEM literacy. By relying on coordination between unlikely partners—such as school districts, teachers, parents, higher education institutions and informal STEM programs, to name a few—each Ecosystem can transform the local infrastructure for ensuring more students, particularly under-served and underrepresented students, develop the knowledge and skills they need to succeed. https://stemecosystems.org/faqs/