A family investigates interactive activities at an OMSI Family Science Night for African families, organized by PMSP partner CAIRO Portland. Photo Credit: Tim Cowley
Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) has pledged a one-to-one matching opportunity to support a coalition of community partners committed to creating a STEAM Education Ecosystem for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) youth and girls.
The Portland Metro STEM Partnership (PMSP) leveraged this funding to support a coalition of six culturally-focused partners: Adelante Mujeres, Centro Cultural, NE STEAM Coalition, CAIRO, Arab Community Center for Economic & Social Service, and United Way of the Columbia-Willamette/Early Learning Washington County as well as the multilingual departments from the Beaverton & Hillsboro School Districts. These partners have the shared goal of expanding access to culturally and linguistically affirming and career-connected STEAM learning opportunities for BIPOC youth, youth navigating poverty, and girls in our region and beyond. These partners share the desire to both improve and expand their own programs while working together to develop collaborative opportunities to expand access for youth without privilege. PMSP is a program of PSU’s Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science as well as a program of Impact NW, a non-profit wraparound service provider working to eliminate poverty.
“Oregon Community Foundation is excited to support community-based STEM programs and the Portland Metro STEM Partnership. We recognize the importance of culturally-specific science, technology, engineering, and mathematics learning leading to STEM career pathways for students who have been historically underserved,” says Belle Cantor, Senior Program Officer for Education, Oregon Community Foundation. “We hope that our leadership in investing in STEM programming for BIPOC youth will inspire others.”
PMSP is honored to support this BIPOC-led coalition of organizations. PMSP is one of 13 STEM Hubs across Oregon, serving the Portland Metro area. As a STEM Hub, their role is to connect and convene regional partners to work together to improve STEM education P-20 for all students.
“We are so pleased to have the support of the Oregon Community Foundation to improve access to STEAM learning by supporting culturally-specific partners,” said Jerian Abel, Co-Director of the PMSP. “This match will provide significant support by providing resources to culturally specific and culturally focused programs and organizations to develop and expand STEAM learning in culturally affirming and promoting ways, connected directly to their communities.”
For every dollar raised by the PMSP and the coalition of partners over the next 10 months, Oregon Community Foundation will match all gifts up to $1.63 million. A challenge like this is a unique opportunity to address systemic racism for BIPOC youth and girls, a core focus for the PMSP, as well as a chance to maximize the impact of private philanthropy.
The match will run until November 2022 and the PMSP is off to a good start thanks to a $250,000 grant from Meyer Memorial Trust to support the work of the coalition.
If you are interested in doubling the impact of your gift to the Portland Metro STEAM Partnership, please contact Kristen Norquist, Senior Director of Development for the Maseeh College at norquistk@psuf.org.