Department of Education Gives $3 Million to Expand Minorities in STEM Education

“Strengthening these institutions that serve large minority populations in STEM is vital to building a strong economy and competitive workforce, while helping ensure that all students have the opportunity to be successful in college, careers and life,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

The grants are funded through the Minority Science and Engineering Improvement Program (MSEIP). The three-year awards aim to support activities such as:

• Pre-college STEM enrichment
• Tutoring
• Advancing research skills
• Faculty training
• Curriculum development
• Lab/classroom renovation
• Activities to limit barriers for minorities to gain entry into STEM fields

“These grants will help ensure that students, particularly our underrepresented and minority students, are well-prepared for the 21st century global marketplace and on the path to a successful future in a STEM field,” added Duncan.

The U.S. Department of Commerce reported that graduates in a STEM field earn 26 percent more than graduates in other fields. Additionally, the report stated that STEM fields will grow twice as fast as other fields by 2018. As a result, bolstering the numbers of minorities in STEM education now will play a large role improving job and financial equality in America.

The added benefit of MSEIP and similar programs that promote minorities in STEM is the link between innovation and diversity. The more diverse a team, the more backgrounds, experiences and different ways of thinking that team will have. As a result, the team will have access to more ideas to help innovate designs. Therefore, boosting the number of minorities in STEM should translate to improved economic standings overall.

In a video interview with ENGINEERING.com, Ray Johnson, Lockheed Martin’s CTO, agreed. “The part that’s a really important component of diversity is linkage to innovation,” he said. “What we find is that people with a different perspective, not just race, creed and color, but different background, different education, different environments, they come in and look at a problem in a very different way. And as they do, they bring innovative solutions.”

For more articles on programs aimed at improving diversity in STEM click on the list below:

• Increasing STEM Diversity through Minority-Centered Opportunities
• It's Important to Pass It On: US2020 on STEM Mentorship
• Great Lakes Commits $9M to Fight STEM Attrition
• Siemens Recognized for Supporting Diversity through STEM Education

Winners of the MSEIP grant.