Demand for jobs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) continues to grow, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Forecast of almost 11% growth in STEM professions between 2021 and 2031.
This is one of the reasons why Eastern Michigan University (EMU) and its College of Education have a Institute for MINT Education, Public Relations and Human Resources Development earlier this year. The institute’s mission is to leverage EMU’s applied research, outreach and curriculum to encourage local students to study STEM fields and to serve as an information center for Washtenaw County.
Ryan GildersleeveI’m Ryan Gildersleeve.
“We are seeing an increasing demand for STEM careers while also recognizing that historically, Ypsilanti’s populations have been largely excluded from participating in STEM fields,” says Ryan Gildersleeve, dean of the STEM Institute. He says encouraging Ypsi students to pursue STEM careers “fits Eastern’s mission as an institution of opportunity.”
EMU is a partner of Ypsilanti Community Schools and Lincoln Consolidated Schools at the Institute. It is funded by a $10 million, five-year grant from Toyota’s “Driving Possibilities” initiativewhose goal is to advance STEM education in southeast Michigan. Gildersleeve said Toyota initiated the conversation about funding the initiative because Toyota employees felt that supporting the new institute was a good fit with their work in social innovation.
“In Washtenaw County in particular, they are trying to make a difference in STEM education and STEM outcomes for the families and youth of Ypsilanti,” Gildersleeve says.
He says the initiative’s partners “developed the idea for a community-focused STEM center” that would strengthen STEM education in the greater Ypsilanti area.
EMU recently appointed Sibrina Collins to lead the institute. Collins brings a mix of science background and education to the role. She continues to teach as a chemistry professor and was the founding executive director of the Marburg STEM Center on the campus of Lawrence Technological University from 2016 to 2023.
Sibrina CollinsSibrina Collins.
Collins says she always asks herself, “If you could influence a student, how would you do it? How would you inspire them to do it?”
Collins has used pop culture to reach students. She showed the movie Black Panther and used a discussion about the mythical substance Vibranium to teach them the periodic table. Connecting STEM subjects to everyday topics is a tactic she will continue to use.
“One thing is very clear: The pandemic that has affected us all has shown in real time why STEM matters, why it is important for developing vaccines and therapeutics to treat diseases,” she says. “STEM impacts every aspect of our society, from those therapeutics to detergents and shampoo. It’s all STEM.”
Gildersleeve says the institute will leverage relationships and a “wide range of assets” from all of the colleges that make up EMU, not just the College of Education. He points out that the College of Education and other programs at the university focus on place-based, problem-based and project-based education, known as the “3 P’s” approach. He points out that this is a rigorously vetted, evidence-based approach that is also used in the STEM Institute’s programming.
Collins stresses that the institute’s strength comes from its partnerships and collaborations. She says she will work directly with teachers and administrators from each Washtenaw County school district to develop hands-on activities that keep students engaged.
Doug CoombeThe Lincoln High School Linc-Bots team in 2019.
Robert Jansen, Superintendent of Lincoln Consolidated Schoolsdescribes the institute as “an all-round program with all these partnerships that uses the resources we have to create these career paths for children.”
According to Jansen, the best way to inspire children to pursue an education and career in STEM is to “expose them to STEM early and often,” starting at preschool age.
“It’s about building a connection with the kids and giving them the opportunity to find out what their interests and passions are,” he says.
He points out that some families have incomes and privileges that allow them to take field trips, travel abroad and provide other enriching experiences for their children. Others, due to family circumstances, rarely get out of their own neighborhood. Jansen says one of his goals is to provide children with many career paths so they can expand their ideas about what’s possible.
“We want to give them experiences so they can imagine the direction they want to take in life,” he says.
He says Robotics programs in his district and throughout southeast Michigan, there are the kind of project-based, hands-on learning opportunities he hopes to foster with the help of the institute. He believes the institute’s work will be critical in teaching students the soft skills, such as critical thinking, communication and empathy, necessary to adapt to changing technologies and trends.
Doug CoombeThe Lincoln High School Linc-Bots team in 2019.
“It’s about being good people,” he says. “Many employers are looking for people who can relate to other people and are good teammates, with whom you can work together and think critically through a problem together.”
Jansen is also excited that the STEM Institute will expand his district’s existing efforts to enable students to leave high school with “stackable” credentials already earned.
Collins hopes the STEM Institute will create a welcoming atmosphere that encourages discovery.
“I want to make sure that students in these districts are working together and that everyone has access to a quality STEM education,” she says. “We want students to have the opportunity to take risks and fail, to be creative and to be prepared for STEM careers and future opportunities.”
Sarah Rigg is a freelance writer and editor in Ypsilanti Township and project manager of On-site YpsilantiShe joined Focus as a news editor in early 2017 and is an occasional contributor to other Issue Media Group Publications. You can reach them at [email protected].
Photos of Lincoln Robotics by Doug Coombe. All other photos courtesy of the photographers.
Did you like this story? Sign up to receive free solutions-based reports in your inbox every week.
