About the STEM Committee

The STEM Committee of the California AfterSchool Network is a dedicated group of professionals sharing information, resources, promising practices, as well as a shared work plan intended to advance STEM in out-of-school time in California.

Who should join the STEM Committee?
Two Types of Committee Membership
Why actively participate in the STEM Committee?
What does active Committee participation Mean?
STEM Committee Work Groups
STEM Committee Tri-Chairs

Who should join the STEM Committee?

• Out-of-School Time (After School, Summer, Field-trip-based, etc.) Program Director
•  Out-of-School Time (After School, Summer, Field-trip-based, etc.) full time Site or Program Coordinator
• District or County Office of Education representative
• Technical Assistance Providers (trainers, consultants, intermediaries, resource providers
• Educational institution or Informal Science Education Organization representative
• Museum Representatives
• Interested business and industry representatives,
• University and community college representatives / outreach programs,
• Foundation representatives
• Local and regional non-profits or community based organization representatives
• Workforce investment board representatives 
   

Two Types of Committee Membership

Individuals have the opportunity to join the STEM Committee as an Active or Stay Informed member. 

• Active Members attend virtual meetings regularly, and participate in work groups advancing the work plan of the committee.
  • Active participation means:
    • Consistent participation in (attend 6 of 8) monthly committee meetings (virtual meetings - 1 hour).
    • Contribution to the formation of a work plan for the committee.
    • Committing to contribute to at least one item of the committee work plan.
    • Work outside of Committee meeting times not to exceed three hours monthly (unless you choose to join more than one sub-group).
    • Recruit additional active committee members.
• Stay Informed Members receive regular updates on the work of the committee and some expanded learning STEM resources but will not participate actively in the creation and implementation of the committee work plan, and will not receive the benefits related with active committee participation. 

• Join a community of leaders in STEM in Out-of-School Time (OST) in California.
• Inform and influence the field of STEM in OST, as well as the work of a statewide organization (the California Afterschool Network) in a multi-year initiative to build capacity in the field to implement high quality STEM learning opportunities in OST.
• Provide guidance to, and inform the work of newly forming Regional Innovation Supports for STEM in OST. 
• Inform and influence the development of a virtual STEM resource.  
• Receive advance notice of available STEM resources
• Receive priority consideration for opportunities that arise from our statewide and national partners.
• Representatives from STEM related Businesses and Industry, Higher Education, Museums and Science Centers can connect to Out-of-School Time programs.  This may include promising practices in outreach, youth internship, and volunteer placement opportunities.
• Network and learn promising practices and strategies from statewide and national practitioners implementing STEM in OST. 

• Consistent participation in (attend 6 of 8) monthly committee meetings  (virtual meetings - 1 hour).
• Contribution to the formation of a work plan for the committee.
• Committing to contribute to at least one item of the committee work plan.
• Work outside of Committee meeting times not to exceed three hours monthly (unless you choose to join more than one sub-group).
• Anybody is free to sign on to learn more about the committee.  Those individuals will receive meeting notes and information regarding the work of the committee, and some advanced information regarding STEM in OST resources, but will not receive the full benefits of active participation.