College & Workforce Readiness

Obama Effort Brings Students to Federal Science Labs

By Liana Loewus — March 01, 2016 1 min read
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Yesterday, the White House launched a new effort to expose K-12 students to what happens in the nation’s federal science labs, in the hopes of sparking more interest in science, technology, engineering, and math careers.

During “National Week at the Labs,” more than 50 national laboratories across the country will invite local youth to meet scientists and participate in hands-on activities and demonstrations. The effort, in coordination with the White House Council on Women and Girls and the My Brother’s Keeper Task Force, runs until March 4.

My Brother’s Keeper, a White House initiative aimed at improving both educational and career opportunities for young men of color, also announced a new focus on STEM and entrepreneurship.

Yesterday, students from Washington and Baltimore attended a kickoff event at the White House, where scientists and engineers from NASA, the Department of Defense, and other federal agencies ran demonstrations and spoke about their work.

President Obama is continuing to cement his legacy as a leader in the STEM education movement. He launched a billion-dollar public-private partnership to improve U.S. students’ performance in science and math, and has called for the recruitment of 100,000 new STEM teachers by 2021. He has hosted science fairs, maker fairs, and astronomy nights at the White House. And his recent budget proposal (though not likely to be passed) included $4 billion for states and $100 million for districts to expand access to K-12 computer science.

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A version of this news article first appeared in the Curriculum Matters blog.