Whereas the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that there are currently over 10,000,000 Americans employed in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) occupations in the United States;

Whereas STEM occupations are projected to grow more than 10 percent by 2032, and 20 percent of all occupations require a high level of knowledge in any one STEM field;

Whereas, in 2023, only 15 percent of students met the ACT STEM College Readiness Benchmark, indicating a 20-percent decrease since 2019;

Whereas diverse lived experiences in any field incorporate different perspectives and ideas that can lead to more creative, innovative, and pioneering solutions;

Whereas the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics shows that, in 2021, Hispanic workers represented only 15 percent of the STEM workforce, Black workers represented only 10 percent of the STEM workforce, and American Indians and Alaska Natives together made up less than 1 percent of the STEM workforce;

Whereas there are multiple STEM educational and STEM career attainment pathways, such as through preapprenticeship and apprenticeship programs, in addition to a 4-year degree from an institution of higher education;

Whereas STEM education and STEM literacy are necessary for well-functioning communities and society at large, beyond national workforce priorities, and the security of the United States in the 21st Century global economy largely depends on developing STEM-literate citizens and a national collection of communities that see STEM as a means to solving community problems;

Whereas science, technology, and engineering are not consistently prioritized in school day budgets, and thus minimal school-day curriculum is dedicated to science, technology, and engineering learning;

Whereas afterschool, summer, and other out-of-school time STEM programs are essential complements to the school day, providing youth-led, hands-on, experiential, project-based learning opportunities that bridge the gap between classroom lessons and real-world STEM applications;

Whereas a healthy STEM ecosystem is comprised of community-based organizations, industry and private businesses, public entities, institutions of higher education, elementary and secondary schools, nonprofit organizations, and STEM professionals, both active and retired, working together as essential equity stakeholders;

Whereas, through collaborative work, a thriving STEM ecosystem delivers vital STEM learning and engagement for youth of all ages and communities, with a particular focus on fostering intergenerational and peer-to-peer mentorship and supportive learning communities;

Whereas STEM education is recognized as a lifelong learning journey, not restricted to the elementary and secondary school years;

Whereas strengthening recruitment and retention across the STEM sectors, including improving recruitment and retention of women, helps build a workforce that better reflects society and provides a wider range of role models to inspire students and young professionals from all backgrounds to pursue careers in STEM;

Whereas there is a need to acknowledge the need to build bridges across technical sectors and understand different ways of knowing across communities;

Whereas there is a need to acknowledge the need to work together across education sectors and build STEM education-wide integration; and

Whereas it is essential to acknowledge that learning doesn’t happen in isolation, and a STEM-literate citizenry is only as effective as its ability to communicate, collaborate, and coordinate across different sectors and with people unlike themselves: Now, therefore, be it