A STEM Education Strategic Plan for the Nation

In 2018, a five-year Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Education Strategic Plan, “Charting Success: America’s Plan for STEM Education” was released by the Committee on STEM Education, a committee that reports to The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. [1],[2] The strategic plan describes the rationale, vision, and goals for STEM education in America. In addition to articulating STEM education goals, the plan helps inform how Federal agencies invest in STEM education initiatives and how those investments are evaluated. Since this plan is coming to an end in 2023, a new strategic plan is currently in development. During this plenary session, the Federal offices and external stakeholders that play a major role in developing STEM education policy will be discussed. We will also consider the ways in which The POGIL Project aligns with and supports national efforts to strengthen STEM education.

[1] https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED590474.pdf Accessed 05/04/2023

[2] https://www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/ Accessed 05/04/2023

Gail Webster, Ph.D. is an Analytical Chemist and a chemistry educator. She used POGIL pedagogy in her classes from 2004-2021 and facilitated her first POGIL workshop in 2006. She recently transitioned from a long career as a professor at a small liberal arts college to the private sector as a Senior STEM Analyst with Strategic Analysis in Alexandria, VA. In her current role, she works to support STEM education initiatives for the Department of Defense. Prior to her position at Strategic Analysis, she was an American Association for the Advancement of Science, Science and Technology Policy Fellow (AAAS STPF) at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in Washington, D.C. At DOE, Gail served in the Office of Science (SC) within the Office of Scientific Workforce Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. She was integrally involved with the establishment and roll-out of a new requirement for DOE funding applications, the “Plan for Promoting Equitable and Inclusive Research” (PIER Plan). She also helped lead on-site peer reviews for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility at SC national laboratories, and was a member of the DOE STEM Science and Technology Team.