BHEF Continues To Support White House STEM Push
The Business-Higher Education Forum (BHEF), an organization of Fortune 500 CEOs, prominent college and university presidents, and foundation leaders working to promote America’s leadership in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), today came out in strong support of President Obama’s continuing effort to bolster STEM education in the United States.
At today’s “Educate to Innovate” Campaign event, President Obama honored educators from across the country for excellence in mathematics and science teaching and mentoring. The president also announced key new partnerships in his $500 million campaign to help reach the administration’s goal of moving American students from the middle to the top of the pack in science and math achievement over the next decade.
“There is a recognition we can’t do everything,” John P. Holdren, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, said. “We really need all hands on deck from the private sector and the philanthropic sector because the government can’t foot the whole bill for this.”
The event comes on the heels of a November 2009 launch at the White House attended by BHEF Executive Director Brian K. Fitzgerald. At that time, President Obama announced a series of high-powered partnerships involving leading companies, foundations, non-profit organizations, and science and engineering societies dedicated to motivating and inspiring young people across America to excel in science and math.
“We are pleased that President Obama has brought a renewed sense of urgency to improving STEM education in this country. It will help bolster the commitments by BHEF and its members’ organizations that directly support the president’s goals,” says Fitzgerald.
In addition to its corporate members who have committed significant resources to creating opportunities for math and science teachers to improve their craft, 17 of its academic members, under the leadership of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities, have committed to increasing the number of math and science teachers produced annually from 7,500 to 10,000. “We will continue to encourage our members as well as other business and academic leaders to join this effort and our own STEM initiative,” adds Fitzgerald
Along the lines of President Obama’s goals, as part of its STEM Initiative, BHEF authored the report “An American Imperative: Transforming the Recruitment, Retention, and Renewal of Our Nation’s Mathematics and Science Teaching Workforce,” which lays out a comprehensive plan for creating a robust, world-class mathematics and science teaching workforce
BHEF also recently introduced to policymakers and the public the first-ever simulation and modeling tool for improving U.S. STEM education. Built by BHEF member Raytheon Company and gifted to BHEF, the U.S. STEM Education Model is free, and enables researchers, policymakers, and educators to explore scenarios that can strengthen U.S. STEM education and workforce outcomes.
In addition, BHEF is aligned with the group Tapping America’s Potential (TAP), a coalition of the nation’s leading business organizations, which is committed to improving STEM education in the United States.
“The business community and higher education are working together to support all efforts to improve mathematics and science teaching,” says Raytheon Company Chairman and CEO William H. Swanson, who currently serves as BHEF vice chair and co-chairs the organization’s STEM Initiative. “We are pleased to see the Obama administration focused on STEM education and look forward to working with the President and Education Secretary Duncan in advancing this shared agenda.”