Dive Brief:
- President Barack Obama is set to announce over $240 million in STEM education pledges Monday at the White House Science Fair.
- Among the new commitments: a $150 million philanthropic initiative aimed at keeping early-career scientists on track and $90 million to boost STEM opportunities for minorities, girls, and other underrepresented demographics.
- Additionally, the Associated Press reports that the president's announcement will include over 100 colleges and universities promising to produce an additional 20,000 engineers, as well as plans backed by numerous CEOs that will open STEM education programs to 1.5 million students.
Dive Insight:
This year marks the fifth White House Science Fair, which the Obama administration has used to convey its backing of STEM education efforts. Ultimately, it can be seen as recognition that the U.S. ranks No. 24 in science compared to the rest of the world, and that improvements must be made if the nation is to remain economically competitive in high-demand science, technology, engineering, and math fields.
A White House fact sheet on the event, with additional details on the new commitments, is available here. Notably, the document states that this year's fair will feature more female scientists and students than any previous year. In all, over 100 students from more than 30 states are participating.
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