BIPOC STEAM Ecosystem
Background
In the Portland Metro region, students from low-income communities and communities of color have fewer opportunities and limited access to meaningful Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) learning and career connection experiences. In most circumstances, STEAM learning for BIPOC youth is gated behind systemic geographic, economic, educational, and cultural barriers.
Additionally, entry into STEAM majors requires academic preparedness in high school, yet by 8th grade, Oregon Black and Latino students are 25-30 points behind their white peers in both math and science standardized tests. By the time they graduate from high school, STEAM higher education majors aren’t a viable option.
In order to address this opportunity gap, the Portland Metro STEM Partnership (PMSP) joined eight regional partners focused on providing services to youth of color to create the BIPOC STEAM Ecosystem. Today, seven of those partner organizations remain part of the Ecosystem. Together, the Ecosystem partners secure funding to grow STEAM opportunities in their communities, plan collaborative events, and support each other in critical work.
The Ecosystem
Who
Arab Community Center for Economic & Social Services (ACCESS)
Center for African Immigrant and Refugee Organization (CAIRO)
Our primary goal
To design and implement an ongoing system of support for high quality STEAM education for BIPOC youth and underrepresented girls to expand access to culturally affirming, high dose, STEAM and career connected learning for children, youth and families across the region.
By bringing together culturally-specific program providers and two school districts to work together, the ecosystem is able to develop an ongoing system of support for high-quality STEAM education for kids of color and girls.
BIPOC-focused STEAM Ecosystem empowers the community to lead and hold decision-making authority in order to expand access to high-quality STEM and STEAM learning opportunities for children and youth.
Our Partnership
Portland Metro STEM Partnership is dedicated to working as an ongoing *ally to support the BIPOC STEAM Ecosystem collective and the individual organizations. We believe that situating decision-making power and programming in community is best for youth and families. As a collective, we have raised $2.1M to support expanding access to STEAM programming for BIPOC youth.
Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) generously matched $1.6M of these funds, a total investment of $3.7M, further expanding access across our region.
*Ally - Someone who makes the commitment and effort to recognize their privilege (based on gender, class, race, sexual identity, etc.) and work in solidarity with oppressed groups in the struggle for justice. Allies understand that it is in their own interest to end all forms of oppression, even those from which they may benefit in concrete ways. (Center for the Study of Social Policy)