Change the Equation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, CEO-led coalition that is mobilizing the business community to improve the quality of STEM learning in the United States recently selected the Arkansas-based EAST Initiative for inclusion in its national database of quality STEM educational programs.  To date, among the 28 programs nationally that met the rigorous criteria for inclusion, EAST is one of only 10 to receive full recognition for each category of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

 

The STEM Works database was developed by Change the Equation as a critical resource for STEM learning advocates, program developers, educators and funders who are seeking programs that meet a high bar for effectiveness. Change the Equation enlisted the services of WestEd - an independent non-profit research, development, and service organization - in the rigorous review of programs.

 

“We are extremely pleased to receive this level of national recognition and hope it serves as a catalyst to provide the EAST model of education to more students,” said Dr. Angela Kremers, Senior Director of Corporate Strategy for the Initiative. “The database bridges a critical connection between exceptional STEM programs like EAST and the corporations interested in funding high quality STEM learning opportunities.”

 

The announcement marks the third national recognition for the EAST Initiative in 2012. “The program was named a Green STEM innovator during National Environmental Educators Week and was one of five programs highlighted for best practices in education technology by the International Society of Technology in Education,” said Matt Dozier, EAST President and CEO.

 

About the EAST Initiative

 

EAST, an acronym for Environmental and Spatial Technology, is unlike any other program in the modern curriculum. It is a project-based, service-learning oriented program that provides students with the most current, high-end technology available in the most progressive fields in the world. At its heart, EAST is a coordinated effort to provide today’s students with an educational atmosphere that allows them to gain insight into their own abilities to acquire and use information, solve problems, and gain valuable experience using the most sophisticated technology available. The students, working in teams, tackle sophisticated service-oriented projects. In 2010, EAST students contributed over 1.5 million service hours to communities in Arkansas alone with an economic impact of over $15 million. Since its inception in 1996, the EAST model has expanded to over 200 schools in six states (Arkansas, California, Iowa, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania).  For more information about EAST, visit www.EASTinitiative.org.

 

About Change the Equation

 

Through a coalition of CEOs, Change the Equation was formed to foster widespread literacy in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and spark an innovative spirit in students and prepare them for postsecondary options.  Corporate members serving on its Board of Directors include Intel Corporation, Time Warner Cable, Xerox, Exxon Mobil, and Accenture. Change the Equation offers a broad umbrella under which companies can connect with each other, identify opportunities for jointly leveraging their STEM investments, and achieve more together than they can separately. Primary goals for the organization include improving philanthropy by increasing the impact of corporate giving by emphasizing high quality, scalable programs; inspiring youth by capturing the imagination of young people, giving them a solid foundation in STEM, and insight into the unlimited postsecondary and career options; and advocating change by promoting proven state policies and research-based practices that enhance student mastery of, and interest in, STEM disciplines. To learn more about Change the Equation, visit www.Changetheequation.org.