STEMtember 2023 Impact – Tulsa Regional STEM Alliance

Jaime Walton
October 10, 2023
Event Recap

STEMtember is our annual month-long event dedicated to celebrating and promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, fostering interest, and inspiring the next generation of innovators. Throughout the month of September, we hosted a wide range of engaging activities, workshops, and discussions were held to highlight the importance of STEM education and careers.

Campaign Theme: STEM is everywhere. STEM is everyone. All are welcome.

Our 2023 campaign theme, “STEM is everywhere. STEM is everyone. All are welcome,” was at the heart of our efforts. We intentionally designed our events and initiatives to ensure that all members of our community felt included and like they belonged in STEM.

Family Engagement

In collaboration with Tulsa’s Gathering Place, we embarked on an inspiring journey of family engagement, distributing over 2,000 STEM in a Bag activity kits to families across Northeast Oklahoma. These kits were thoughtfully designed to provide all necessary materials, accompanied by instructions in both English and Spanish, ensuring accessibility for all. This initiative was fueled by our partners at Oklahoma Oil & Natural Gas.

To sustain enthusiasm, we introduced a new kit each week, encouraging families to continuously participate. Additionally, we created an asynchronous STEM scavenger hunt within the park, offering families an exciting way to discover STEM concepts while enjoying the outdoors.

Partner Engagement

The campaign attracted the enthusiastic involvement of 30 partner organizations who attended our quarterly STEM in Motion partner breakfast. This event not only provided an opportunity to explore the impact of summer STEM programs but also marked the launch of STEMtember. We were thrilled to welcome five new partners to our organization through this initiative.

Furthermore, our collaboration with the YMCA of Greater Tulsa allowed us to distribute more than 600 STEM Happens Here yard signs across five Tulsa metro locations. This led to 183 partners voluntarily adding their locations to our asset map, including 111 partner organizations and 72 personal homes.

Educator Engagement

STEMtember Teacher Appreciation Night, hosted at Heirloom Brewery, revolved around the intriguing theme of the science of food and fermentation. The event featured games and hands-on activities led by four community partners, offering teachers valuable resources to enrich their classrooms. Of the 70 teachers in attendance, 24 were new to our organization. The event received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with 98% of participants expressing superior satisfaction and 89% indicating a high likelihood of utilizing resources offered by our partners.

Out-of-School Time Programs

To ensure inclusivity and accessibility, we partnered with the North Mabee Boys and Girls Club to provide an enriching field trip experience for 28 students at the Community Movie Night event. Each student received a STEM-related book and a STEM activity kit to take home, fostering their ongoing interest in science and technology. This initiative was made possible by our partners at Oklahoma Oil & Natural Gas.

Thanks, everyone, and we’ll see you in STEMtember 2024!