WakeEd Partnership Honored With US2020 STEM Mentoring Award

This morning, US2020 announced that WakeEd Partnership (WakeEd), a business-backed nonprofit organization committed to improving public education in the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS), has been awarded the US2020 STEM Mentoring Award for Excellence in Public-Private Partnerships. The STEM Mentoring Awards are a national platform to celebrate and encourage exceptional work in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) mentoring. US2020 will recognize the award winners today in Washington D.C., at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center.

WakeEd is being recognized for two programs that they facilitate in partnership with the Wake County Public School System. SummerSTEM and World Café engage STEM businesses and organizations in supporting educators by helping them bring real-world lessons to the classroom.

During SummerSTEM, 100 WCPSS educators engage in hands-on professional development experiences. Over eight days, they are immersed in STEM companies from across the Triangle, embedded in Wake Technical Community College classrooms and coached in lesson design and project-based learning. SummerSTEM exists to enrich each educator’s understanding of the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in STEM careers.

At WakeEd’s annual STEM and Global Studies World Café, business, nonprofit, and government leaders collaborate with educators during focused networking sessions. WakeEd matches educational needs with time and talent resources to help bring classroom and schoolwide projects to life. World Café was created to help students meet the challenges of a fast-paced, dynamic world.

“We are honored and excited to receive this prestigious award,” says Steve Parrott, President of WakeEd. “We have worked tirelessly at WakeEd to ensure that our teachers are prepared to provide students in the Wake County Public School System with the tools they need to succeed, and we are so excited to see it paying off for everyone involved.”