Google Supports MOMENTUM to Strengthen Oklahoma’s Workforce Future

What if students could turn their curiosity into a credential?

Through MOMENTUM, the Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance (TRSA) is helping make that possible — and with new support from Google, thousands more Oklahoma students will soon be able to showcase their skills and connect learning to future careers.

Read the full press release →

Building Pathways from Classrooms to Careers

MOMENTUM, led by TRSA and shaped by input from more than 23 community organizations, helps students earn verified digital badges that represent both technical and executive-function skills such as problem-solving, teamwork, and creativity. These badges bridge the gap between classrooms, after-school programs, and the workplace — helping families see progress, educators measure growth, and employers recognize emerging talent.

“Through Google’s funding, we’re helping families see what’s next for their students, giving employers and educators a shared language for the skills youth are building, and empowering students to become the authors of their own STEM stories,”
— Dr. Emily Mortimer, Vice President of STEM Ecosystems at TRSA

From Pilot Success to Statewide Scale

Launched two years ago with support from the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies and The Opportunity Project, MOMENTUM began as a pilot in Tulsa designed to connect out-of-school learning with in-school career planning. Working alongside local STEM organizations and Left Bank Consulting, TRSA developed and tested a digital badging system that validates student skills in real time.

Since then, MOMENTUM has grown to include five certified badge issuers — Discovery Lab, Education for Scholars, Outdoor Classroom, Urban Coders Guild, and the USA BMX Foundation — who have collectively issued more than 700 digital badges. Each badge represents a verified demonstration of skill, curiosity, and persistence, marking a student’s progress on their path toward future careers.

Now, with Google’s support, MOMENTUM is ready to build on this foundation by expanding to new communities and giving even more Oklahoma students the chance to turn their passions into purpose.

Expanding Opportunity Across Oklahoma

Google’s support for TRSA is part of the company’s larger $5 million commitment to Oklahoma’s workforce and students, announced at the AI Business Summit co-hosted with the Oklahoma City Thunder on November 7. This support advances Google’s efforts to prepare an AI-ready workforce and create equitable access to future-ready skills across the state.

Over the next year, TRSA will:

• Train and certify 20 education and community organizations as digital badge issuers.

• Develop three workforce-aligned pathways connecting learning experiences to in-demand skills and job opportunities.

• Issue 2,500 digital badges to Oklahoma students, prioritizing youth historically underrepresented in STEM.

• Launch a statewide data dashboard to track access, equity, and outcomes — driving continuous improvement.

“This effort is about more than technology; it’s about connection,” said Levi Patrick, Executive Director of TRSA.
“When students can show what they know, educators can better support their growth, families can see new possibilities, and employers can identify the next generation of talent. Together with Google, we’re building bridges between learning and opportunity.”

“We want to make sure that the opportunities created by AI are accessible to students right here in Oklahoma,” said Jessica Forman, Community Development Manager at Google. “Our support for organizations like Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance’s MOMENTUM initiative puts that belief into action, helping students across the state earn meaningful, job-ready skills and strengthening the homegrown talent pipeline that will power innovation across our state.”