Stem Next Opportunity Fund

STEM NEXT OPPORTUNITY FUND IS A NATIONAL LEADER, STRATEGIC GUIDE, POLICY ADVOCATE, AND INVESTOR THAT IS BRINGING ABOUT A TRANSFORMATIVE EXPANSION OF HIGH-QUALITY AND INCLUSIVE STEM LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES.

STEM NEXT OPPORTUNITY FUND IS A NATIONAL, NON-PROFIT, NON-PARTISAN ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO SCALING HIGH-QUALITY STEM (SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, & MATH) LEARNING TO MILLIONS OF YOUTH WITH A PARTICULAR FOCUS ON KIDS OF COLOR, GIRLS AND YOUTH IN UNDER-RESOURCED COMMUNITIES. OUR MISSION IS TO BUILD INCLUSION AND OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUTH AND TO CLOSE THE RACIAL AND GENDER GAPS IN STEM CAREERS. THROUGH STEM LEARNING IN AFTERSCHOOL AND SUMMER, STEM NEXT CREATES PATHWAYS TO ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND FUELS INNOVATION.STEM LEARNING BEYOND THE CLASSROOM INSPIRES YOUTH AND PREPARES THEM FOR FUTURE SUCCESS IN STEM AS WELL AS MANY OTHER FIELDS. OUTSIDE THE STRUCTURED SCHOOL DAY, HANDS-ON STEM LEARNING PROVIDES A FERTILE ENVIRONMENT TO EXPERIMENT, BUILD CONFIDENCE AND DEVELOP LIFE SKILLS LIKE CRITICAL THINKING, COLLABORATION, PERSEVERANCE, CREATIVITY AND COMMUNICATION. DESPITE THIS POWER AND POTENTIAL, STEM LEARNING IN AFTERSCHOOL AND SUMMER IS UNDERUTILIZED AND UNDER-PRIORITIZED ACROSS THE U.S A CRITICAL ISSUE STEM NEXT IS WORKING TO SOLVE AS A NATIONAL NONPROFIT.WHAT WE DOSTEM NEXT BRINGS TOGETHER A DIVERSITY OF PARTNERS AND LEADS SYNCHRONIZED EFFORTS TO ACHIEVE OUR COMMON GOAL OF EQUITY IN STEM. BY LEVERAGING PARTNERSHIPS, STEM NEXT MOBILIZES FUNDING AND ACCELERATES WHAT WORKS TO REACH THE 10 MILLION YOUNG PEOPLE SERVED IN MORE THAN 100,000 LOCAL AFTERSCHOOL AND SUMMER PROGRAMS ACROSS ALL 50 STATES. FOR YOUTH, OUR WORK INCREASES STEM ACCESS, INTEREST, IDENTITY, AND CAREER KNOWLEDGE. OUR STRATEGIES FOR CLOSING THE GENDER AND RACIAL GAPS IN STEM ARE: - SHARING RESEARCH & INSIGHTS: ELEVATING INNOVATION AND BEST PRACTICES TO SUPPORT YOUTH IN BUILDING STEM SKILLS.- ADVANCING PUBLIC POLICY & ADVOCACY: FUELING PUBLIC INVESTMENTS IN STEM PROGRAMS. - LEADING AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS: INSPIRING CHANGE-MAKERS, TRANSFORMING PERCEPTIONS, AND CREATING URGENCY FOR A MORE DIVERSE, INCLUSIVE STEM FUTURE FOR ALL.- SCALING HIGH-IMPACT SOLUTIONS: PROVIDING TRAINING, OUTCOME MEASUREMENT TOOLS, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND GRANT FUNDING TO NETWORKS AND AFTERSCHOOL AND SUMMER PROGRAMS IN COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE U.S. TO INCREASE ACCESS TO AND DELIVER HIGH-QUALITY STEM LEARNING. MILLION GIRLS MOONSHOTLAUNCHED IN 2020, THE MOONSHOT IS A NATIONAL INITIATIVE TO DEVELOP AN ENGINEERING MINDSET IN 1 MILLION MORE GIRLS BY 2025. MOONSHOT EQUIPS AFTERSCHOOL AND SUMMER PROGRAMS WITH GENDER-INCLUSIVE TOOLS, STRATEGIES AND COACHING TO HELP THEM INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATION. THIS INCLUDES A DEDICATED FOCUS ON FAMILY ENGAGEMENT. IN 2021, WE SCALED THE MOONSHOT TO REACH 400,000 YOUTH, INCLUDING 160,000 GIRLS, FROM NEARLY 21,000 PROGRAMS ACROSS THE U.S.STEM NEXT OPPORTUNITY FELLOWSEMBEDDED WITHIN FEDERAL AGENCIES, OUR NETWORK OF STEM NEXT OPPORTUNITY FELLOWS CONTRIBUTE KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EXPERTISE TO EXPAND ACCESS TO STEM EDUCATION AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY. FELLOWS RECEIVE TRAINING, DEVELOPMENT AND ONGOING SUPPORT FROM STEM NEXT AND OUR DIVERSE CADRE OF PARTNERS. FELLOWS HELP PRIORITIZE STEM AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, ENSURING LEADERS AND DECISION-MAKERS UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF INVESTING IN EDUCATION AND CAREER PATHWAYS. IN 2021, STEM NEXT OPPORTUNITY FUND EXPANDED THE STEM NEXT OPPORTUNITY FELLOWS PROGRAM AND WENT FROM ONE FELLOW IN 2020 TO FOUR FELLOWS PLACED BY THE END OF 2021.IMAGINE SCIENCEIMAGINE SCIENCE BRINGS TOGETHER THE LARGEST YOUTH-SERVING ORGANIZATIONS TO BUILD CAPACITY TO ENGAGE UNDER-REPRESENTED YOUTH IN STEM: YMCA OF THE USA, BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF AMERICA, NATIONAL 4-H COUNCIL AND GIRLS, INC. THIS PIONEERING COLLABORATION HAS ENGAGED 30,000+ YOUTH, OF WHOM 58% WERE GIRLS, 81% FROM LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS AND 90% YOUTH OF COLOR. EACH YEAR 70% OF YOUTH WHO PARTICIPATE IN IMAGINE SCIENCE PROGRAMS SHOW GROWTH IN STEM INTEREST.