MHTA's getSTEM Initiative to Expand to Arizona
Minneapolis, MN (August 10, 2010) - The Minnesota High Tech Association announced today that getSTEM, an innovative web portal that links business resources with education needs in order to prepare students for careers in science, technology, engineering, and math, will expand to Arizona.
The getSTEM web portal (www.getSTEM-mn.com) allows teachers to ask for community assistance in having materials donated to their classroom, guest presentations, volunteers for field trips and much more. Local businesses use the website to offer their K-12 outreach programs that teachers may incorporate into their classroom. Using getSTEM, teachers and businesses "just ask, just offer...it just makes sense!" The Arizona web portal (www.getSTEM-az.com) is being spearheaded by the Arizona Technology Council with an expected launch in mid-September.
"Fostering the best and brightest students is critical to developing a workforce capable of addressing the emerging and complex challenges faced by Arizona and the nation," said Steven G. Zylstra, president and CEO of the Arizona Technology Council. "This new venture in partnership with the Arizona Department of Commerce, Innovation Frontier Arizona, IBM, and Raytheon is designed to be a one-stop shop of resources that enhances student math and science learning statewide."
"We're thrilled to collaborate with the Arizona Technology Council to bring the success of getSTEM to the Southwest," said MaryFrances Schurb, MHTA's interim president. "The getSTEM web portal is a great example of a successful private and public partnership. I'm confident that the positive results in Minnesota can be replicated in Arizona and across the nation."
Minnesota's getSTEM web portal is a partnership between MHTA and the Minnesota Department of Education along with 3M, Ecolab, Honeywell, Inetium, Microsoft and Thomson Reuters as sponsors. getSTEM launched on February 2, 2009. In the first year of operation the web portal facilitated 150 connections impacting an estimated 8,000 students.
ABOUT MHTA
Minnesota High Tech Association (MHTA) promotes the growth, sustainability and global competitiveness of Minnesota's technology-based economy through advocacy, collaboration and education. MHTA members include organizations of every size - involved in virtually every aspect of technology creation, production, application and education in Minnesota. MHTA works in partnership with TechAmerica, which represents Minnesota's technology companies nationally. More information on MHTA can be found at www.mhta.org.
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