US Dept. of Ed Official Speaks On STEM at Moreno Valley Schools

Greg Darnieder, senior advisor to US Education Secretary Arne Duncan on the College Access Initiative, spoke at Valley View High and Mountain View Middle School in Moreno Valley in early June.  After meeting with Riverside County Office of Education officials, Darnieder encouraged the students to prepare for and enter STEM fields by obtaining post-secondary certificates, licenses, or degrees.  The visit came after the schools dramatically increased their graduation rate.  http://www.pe.com/local-news/riverside-county/moreno-valley/moreno-valley-headlines-index/20130605-education-federal-official-pushes-science-math-fields.ece

President Touts Need for 10k New Engineers Annually

Citing the lower-than-average unemployment rate compared to other jobs during the Great Recession, along with the workforce need for increased numbers of engineers in the future, President Obama set the national goal of graduating 10,000 new engineers yearly.  The President asks corporations to partner in the effort through promoting STEM education, offering students incentives for completing the necessary education, and funding university programs, thus reducing the need for federal assistance to reach the benchmark.  http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9217624/Obama_We_don_t_have_enough_engineers_

"Building a Grad Nation" Summit Promotes STEM Education

A three-day summit of educators, community leaders, and policy makers is taking place in Washington, DC this week to strategize on how to increase the US graduation rate to 90% by 2020, in addition to preparing students for success in 21st century education and careers.  Among the positions being explored is promoting STEM education, as well as providing additional federal funding for training and retention of STEM teachers.  These efforts are seen as key in maintaining US global competitiveness.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/melody-barnes/education-is-key-to-winni_1_b_837958.html