The STEM Ed Institute at EMU

EMU Institute for STEM Education, Outreach, and Workforce Development, College of Education, Eastern Michigan University

Explore our site to learn more about the Institute and how it's working to improve STEM education, outreach, and workforce development in southeast Michigan!

About Us

Community-Driven Hub

Serving Students + Our Community

The EMU Institute for STEM Education, Outreach, and Workforce Development (STEM Ed Institute, in short) is a community-driven hub for integrating STEM-related support systems and opportunities.

Building on community assets, and engaging collaboratively with community interests and expertise, the STEM Institute coordinates and integrates STEM initiatives, activities, and programming across three primary areas: education, outreach, and workforce development.

Student smiling while operating a machine with another student paying close attention over her shoulder

Our Focus

STEM Ed Institute coordinates and integrates STEM initiatives, activities, and programming across three primary areas: education, outreach, and workforce development.

About Us

Education

Supporting enactment of a vertically integrated, experiential, and culturally relevant PK-12 STEM curriculum along with highly-qualified PK-12 STEM Educators

Outreach

Building STEM awareness, including STEM career and educational opportunities

Workforce Development

Developing industry-recognized STEM career and technical education credentials and pathways to STEM degrees and careers.

Collaboration

Driving Possibilities with Toyota

Driving Possibilities is an initiative from Toyota to partner with schools, nonprofits and community to help all students succeed - at school and in the careers of the future.

It aims to close educational gaps for all students through innovative, hands-on STEM programming that aligns with STEM careers and increases student achievement. The STEM Ed Institute is partnering with Toyota on a Driving Possibilities project site in Southeast Michigan in collaboration with Lincoln Consolidated Schools, Ypsilanti Community Schools, and the Washtenaw Intermediate School District.

Projects

Benefiting young people

[The STEM Ed Institute will] bring collaborators from industry and institutions of higher learning to a central location to benefit young people. The project is an ideal representation of the University's strategic plan project.

- Dr. James Smith, President, Eastern Michigan University

Putting community needs first

We [Toyota] are looking forward to collaborating with EMU on the Driving Possibilities program in southeast Michigan. In addition to EMU’s proximity and relationships with each school district, they have an established reputation for putting community needs first while preparing educators for service in the community.

- Tellis Bethel, Group Vice President & Chief Social Innovation Officer, Toyota Motor North America

Novel opportunities for collaboration

This transformational investment by Toyota USA Foundation allows EMU’s College of Education to establish the infrastructure that will sustainably strengthen our community's STEM cultural wealth and afford novel opportunities for collaboration among educators, schools, community organizations, and regional businesses to support students at all levels – from pre-kindergarten to post-secondary.

- Ryan Gildersleeve, Dean of the College of Education, Eastern Michigan University