TULSA – Business leaders and employees from about two dozen Tulsa-area companies on Friday discussed how they could make math and science exciting to a seventh-grader.
The group met at the Tulsa Community College Center for Creativity downtown as part of an effort by the Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance to brainstorm how to get Tulsans to mentor elementary school children.
“We are trying to mobilize business leaders, along with educators and the community, about the need for a workforce based on science, technology, engineering and math and develop that force starting at a young age,” said Annie Tomecek, supervisor of global community relations at T.D. Williamson.
Xan Black, a program coordinator for the Tulsa Alliance for Engineering at the TCC Northeast campus, was convinced that companies would promote the notion of their employees going into the classroom.
“Our businesses are ready to become STEM mentors in our schools,” Black said. “Just a little facilitating, figuring out what classes to visit, what the schedule would look like – I think we are ready to go.”
The drive of the Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance is to motivate elementary and middle school students to pursue science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM. The emerging alliance of educators, employers and policymakers discussed how to recruit volunteers to visit classrooms across Tulsa for up to 20 hours per year.
The newly formed alliance has already received national recognition, being named a finalist in the US2020 City Competition. Tulsa is one of 13 finalists out of 52 applicants selected to pursue funding and other resources to build centers for innovation, support and mentoring in STEM fields. Tulsa’s application for the second round of the competition is due Feb. 14.
Putting employees in the classroom benefits everyone, Black said.
“This new generation of workers wants to have an impact beyond their job or their […]