Cincinnati Group Wins STEM Coalition Challenge, Supported by UC's School of Education

The Greater Cincinnati STEM Collaborative (GCSC) is one of eight groups from across the country named by US2020 as a winner of the 2018 STEM Coalition Challenge. GCSC, housed in the University of Cincinnati’s School of Education, will receive a share of a $1 million award to support further innovative, STEM-based learning. 

The 2018 STEM Coalition Challenge is a competition for communities across the country to bring hands-on STEM mentoring and maker-centered learning to underrepresented students. GCSC will receive a share of a $1 million award to support further innovative, STEM-based learning. 

“GCSC represents the very best of organizations dedicated to bringing STEM to students who might otherwise not have access and insight into how STEM can positively shape their futures,” said Esra Ozer, president of Arconic Foundation, a sponsor of the STEM Coalition Challenge. “We look forward to seeing the positive impact winning the STEM Coalition Challenge will have on Project Exploration over the next several years.” 

In 2017 alone, GCSC served over 3,000 students in Cincinnati Public Schools – about 75 percent of those students were low-income, 66 percent were girls, and 60 percent were minority students. GCSC gives students access to STEM-rich experiences primarily beyond school through engaging 3D printing after school clubs and curriculum, after school clubs and summer camps where students learn how to reverse engineer a bicycle they get to keep, and other summer camps entirely dedicated to STEM.

Procter & Gamble, headquartered in Cincinnati, partners with GCSC. “The future Cincinnati STEM workforce is critical to the success of P&G,” said Uday Sheth, R&D director, P&G STEM Coalition. 

“At the intersection of many diverse stakeholders, the GCSC leads, connects, catalyzes and amplifies and thus creates scale for STEM education and workforce development in our region. We are thrilled that Greater Cincinnati is selected as a US2020 STEM Coalition community and deeply appreciate the coalition’s investment to build capacity for STEM mentoring and making in our region.” 

GCSC was selected from 92 applications from 82 communities across 35 states, representing more than 1,800 nonprofits, companies, school districts, and local government partners. 

“The numbers show that there is a need in the United States right now to increase STEM funding in our nation’s schools,” said Eric Schmidt, title sponsor of the STEM Coalition Challenge. Students served by groups such as GCSC will become the next generation of thinkers, innovators and inventors and will impact our nation in ways we can only begin to imagine.” 

Winners were selected based on a number of factors including: their potential for impact, approach to partnership building, creative engagement strategies, and sustainability planning. All eigtt winners will share the $1 million prize, which will provide financial support, consulting, and staff support for two years.