STEAMM Rising Initiative announced to better prepare Columbus City students for careers – The Columbus Dispatch

A new initiative is launching to better prepare Columbus City Schools students for careers in science, technology, engineering, art, math and medicine.

The city of Columbus, Columbus City Schools, Ohio State University and Columbus State Community College are collaborating on the "STEAMM Rising Initiative."

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The STEAMM Rising Initiative is about collectively developing STEAMM talent here in Columbus by ensuring our youth are aware of these exciting career opportunities and also have access to different educational pathways, said Grace Wang, Ohio States executive vice president for research, innovation and knowledge.

Columbus City Schools teachers across all grade levels and content areas willgo through professional development summer institutes over the next five years to help them incorporate STEAMM in the classrooms, said Columbus City Schools Superintendent Talisa Dixon.

The district will create STEAMM-focused curriculum to help prepare students for college courses, Dixon said. This won't change the district's graduation requirements, but it will increase the curriculum's rigor and allow students to have access to science earlier, she said.

"If the last 18 months have taught us anything, its that we cant have too many doctors, researchers or nurses," Dixon said. These brilliant minds have saved countless lives during the pandemic, and whos to say that the next innovativebreakthrough in medicine cant come from a student who today is walking the halls of East High School."

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STEAMM scholarships also will be established for Columbus City Schools students to financially support them at Ohio State and Columbus State, said Kristina M. Johnson, president of Ohio State.

The STEAMM Rising Initiative ties in with the Columbus Innovation District a massive $1.1 billion project focused on developingnew gene and cell therapies to treat genetic disorders.

Ohio State University, Nationwide Children's Hospital and JobsOhio all are collaborating on the Columbus Innovation District, which was announced by Gov. Mike DeWine on Feb. 17.

Johnson previously said the university is spending$650 million developingnew buildings on its West Campus,west of Kenny Road and south of Lane Avenue.

The Columbus Innovation District which is expected to create 20,000 new direct and indirect jobs over the next decade willsupport research, construct an outpatient cancer treatment centerand energy advancement center, and fosterother pursuits.

The Columbus Innovation District could to lead to $3 billion in economic impact over the next 10 years, officials said, with expectations of attracting and retaining top researchers and scientists.

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STEAMM Rising has the potential to transform Columbus in the long-term by helping children live up to their full potential," Johnson said. We can contribute so much by giving Columbus K-12 students a sense of what it means to work in creative or discovery-orientated fields."

Ohio State is committing to producing 22,500 graduates over the next 15 years in the STEM field, including health science, vital materials, computer science and other fields as part of the investment.

What will it take for a third grader at Avondale Elementary to envision herself as a climate scientist in the Innovation District?" asked Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther. "The answer, in part, is through education and mentorship, focusing on science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics and medicine."

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STEAMM Rising Initiative announced to better prepare Columbus City students for careers - The Columbus Dispatch