Community launch event for IDRA’s federal Defense STEM Education Consortium (DSEC) hub. (l-r) Dr. Michael Flores, Alamo Colleges Chancellor; Joe Sánchez, Cyber Texas President; Dr. Raul Reyna, founder, Alamo STEM Ecosystem; Alicia de Hoyos, IDRA STEM youth leader & student at South San Antonio ISD; San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg; Dr. Stephanie Garcia, IDRA STEM and gender equity education specialist; and Alamo STEM Ecosystem lead; and Dr. Cliff Zintgraff, chief learning officer, SAMSAT. (2023)
The Defense STEM Education Consortium 2023 named the Alamo STEM Ecosystem, co-led by IDRA, as one of four STEM hubs in the country. The Alamo STEM Ecosystem brings together educators, industry and other partners. As lead, IDRA is increasing opportunities for young students to work directly with technology to expand their problem-solving skills.
Project Goals
Engage – The STEM Hub will engage K-16 students and educators in meaningful formal and informal STEM learning experiences.
Serve – We will focus on serving students who are underrepresented in STEM (female students, students of color, students from low-income families, and military-connected students).
Connect – The STEM Hub will connect STEM experiences to DoD STEM workforce and careers.
Leverage – We will leverage the consortium as a force multiplier to amplify the reach, visibility, and outcomes.
Evolve – The STEM Hub will use a data-driven approach to evolve and evaluate how the project operates over time to ensure positive outcomes for students and educators.
Activities
Cultivating STEM Equity Ambassadors to Address the Barriers to Equity in STEM Education
STEM Youth Summit held January 17, 2024
Alamo STEM Ecosystem Educator Conference held February 3, 2024
In the summer of 2023, STEM Hub held teacher training through externships in partnership with IDRA, Alamo STEM Workforce Coalition, Education Service Center Region 10, ATEAMS, ASU Gender Equity, and local DoD partners.
We also held summer camps for students, including a cyber camp and a rocketry and space exploration camp. Partners included IDRA, SAMSAT, CyberTexas and local DoD partners.
In March 2023, we co-hosted a community launch, with San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg, to announce a federal initiative to bolster the STEM pipeline for San Antonio students. Speakers included Dr. Stephanie Garcia, IDRA STEM and gender equity education specialist and Alamo STEM Ecosystem lead; Dr. Michael Flores, Chancellor, Alamo Colleges; Dr. Raul Reyna, Founder, Alamo STEM Ecosystem; Alicia de Hoyos, IDRA STEM youth leader & student at South San Antonio ISD and Along with representatives from Cyber Texas, Palo Alto College, Ft. Sam ISD, Edgewood ISD, North East ISD.
We invite potential collaborators to contact Dr. Stephanie Garcia, project director, at stephanie.garcia@IDRA.org.
About the Defense STEM Education Consortium: DSEC, fully funded by the DoD and managed by RTI International, is a collaborative partnership of STEM-focused organizations dedicated to addressing and prioritizing the nation’s STEM talent. In support of the DoD STEM Strategic Plan, Fiscal Years 2021-2025 and aligned with the 2018 Federal STEM Strategic Plan, DSEC aims to broaden STEM literacy and develop a diverse and agile workforce with the technical excellence to defend the nation. Through strategic investments in STEM education and outreach activities, DSEC partner efforts provide students and educators with exposure to educational and workforce development opportunities as well as awareness about career opportunities in STEM fields across the DoD.
