Massachusetts has an ever-growing reputation for being a hub of innovation in STEM fields like health care and technology. In fact, Massachusetts has the highest rates of STEM-related employment in the nation. However, even as the number of high-wage careers in STEM increases across the Commonwealth, the number of Black/African American, Hispanic/Latinx, and female STEM workers remains disproportionately low.
Addressing the lack of diversity in one of the fastest-growing industries in the nation starts with our youngest citizens. Students are exposed to varying degrees of STEM career exploration and discovery throughout their adolescent journeys. But when it comes time to move from exploration to embarking on the path to a STEM job, students face a myriad of obstacles in accessing and completing that path—particularly students who have been historically marginalized.
Our STEM Pathways Blueprint aims to help schools address the roadblocks many students face as they seek a career in a STEM field. It guides schools through the process of earning a state-level designation for a STEM pathway program, detailing the steps of launching a successful program from ideation to iteration and design. The Blueprint also includes state-level recommendations for building a more equitable, clearly communicated, effective STEM pathways system in Massachusetts.