Living/Learning STEM Communities
Living-Learning Communities for STEM Workforce and Economic Development, address systemic challenges of affordable housing, 21st-century skill development, upward social mobility, and inter-generational learning. The overarching objective is to broaden and accelerate STEM participation and workforce development for URM and rural families to spark regional economic growth and innovation at speed and scale.
The communities feature a novel education and workforce development model based on an integrative, household learning and engagement approach. Specifically, the project establishes regional “Micro-Engines” or living-learning STEM communities consisting of participating households living within affordable housing units. The education and training program is geared around young- and middle-adult heads of household, especially those with children enrolled in K-12. Upon selection, each participating household enters a “living-learning contract” that outlines the terms of participation.
A primary objective is to develop a proven grassroots model that can be calibrated, adapted, scaled, and implemented at the community level on a nationwide basis.
In the first phase, we are developing regional prototypes can serve as calibration units for a broader implementation. Our initial three regions include Pittsburgh and Johnstown, Penn. and Morgantown, W.V. Regional prototypes consist of cohorts of 5 to 6 families in select, representative communities engaged for periods of 6 to 18 months, depending upon the time required for various credentials to be earned. Anticipated outcomes and direct benefits include an adaptive scalable national grassroots model for accelerated STEM workforce development, a new pipeline of highly-skilled STEM talent from underserved regions, new high paying jobs and regional employment that creates upward social mobility, a sustainable housing solution that builds social capital and community resilience, a K-12 STEM pipeline with a new generation of STEM-inspired youth acquiring networking and lifelong learning skills, unprecedented insights into long-standing barriers for STEM participation in underserved communities, and sustained regional economic development and innovation.
In the news
Building a bridge to Johnstown: Pitt reaches out to UPJ campus for STEM collaboration