Carnegie STEM Excellence Pathway^®

Planning for STEM Excellence

The Carnegie STEM Excellence Pathway^® has been awarded the 2015 Roy L. Shafer Leading Edge Award for Business Practice from the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC), an international organization of more than 600 science centers and museums dedicated to encouraging public engagement with science among diverse audiences. We offer workshops and other professional development opportunities to help schools and districts begin and implement STEM education improvement practices.

Designed to help the widest possible range of school districts and schools adopt best practices in STEM education, the Pathway includes a process and tools for assessing current STEM programming and creating a practical plan for improvement through teacher professional development and district-to-district mentoring.

One facet of the Carnegie STEM Excellence Pathway^® is a Self-Evaluation Rubric, through which participating schools and school districts first evaluate themselves in six STEM learning components. Within each component, there are Priority Areas with specific criteria and descriptions for levels of performance. After rating themselves on each of these, the school or district selects up to three Priority Areas and then formulates a realistic Action Plan in those areas.

Through periodic reassessment and repetition of this process, schools and districts can progress to higher levels of STEM education excellence. The Pathway is non-punitive. Instead, it’s envisioned as a long-term, goal-oriented, encouraging approach. Learn first-hand through testimonials about how the Pathway is making an impact on schools across the country.

The Pathway is available through STEMisphere^®, created by Carnegie Science Center as a community service to provide a portal to educational STEM resources for students in pre-K through 12th grade across the region.

Interested in becoming a Carnegie STEM Excellence Pathway^® Provider? We offer Pathway Provider Training Institutes to STEM education intermediaries that support schools in other communities beyond southwestern PA.

One of our Carnegie STEM Excellence Pathway Provider’s in Northeast Missouri posted this video, which is an excellent example of a Pathway Provider workshop. Brian Crouse, Vice President of Education for Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry said, “Certainly, we opened many minds to the possibilities for taking a holistic, integrated approach to STEM education.”

Carnegie STEM Excellence Pathways Workshop from Missouri Chamber on Vimeo.

To begin your journey on the Carnegie STEM Excellence Pathway^®, contact: Toni Stith, STEM Professional Development Manager, 412.237.1616 or email Toni Stith.

The Carnegie STEM Excellence Pathway^® is made possible through the generous support of The Heinz Endowments.