The Works Podcast
The Works Podcast
Thumb MI STEM Network's Importance To Businesses & Schools
Guest Kristen Zagorski Talks about the upper thumb Michigan STEM Network and its importance to both schools and businesses.
The newly legislated state network works with schools and businesses, promoting the impact of STEM careers on economic development across the state of Michigan and influencing career decisions to prepare students for their future. This state-led network has sixteen regions throughout the state of Michigan, each region granted their own director to allow a more unique approach to each region's localized area.
The Michigan STEM network, (standing for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) focuses on 4 main pillars: promoting the STEM culture by creating awareness to communities, empowering stem teachers to enhance a cross-curricular approach to teaching, integrate business and education to provide high-quality stem experience to all students. STEM doesn’t just apply to science, technology, engineering or math teachers. It is a cross-curricular approach to teaching as well as a method of problem-solving that is used in relation to one of those four areas, acting as a lens through which people can use to critically think and problem solve.
If you'd like to reach Kristen, you can email her at kzagorski@huronisd.org.
I like to take this opportunity to invite you to GST, Michigan works next business forum. Um, that'll be coming up on Wednesday, March 13th, 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM uh, the topic for this discussion will be how to be a great boss. Leadership plus management equals accountability. You know, studies have repeatedly shown that most employees are disengaged at work, but it doesn't have to be that way. Uh, there's absolutely no cost for this event. We just asked that individuals register for the event ahead of time. This will be located at our Marlette Michigan works. Um, so if you're interested in participating, give Elden Preston a call from our business services team. Uh, the telephone number there is(810) 648-5800 extension five one six.
Speaker 2:Hello and welcome to the worst. A podcast by GSD Michigan works where we explore strategies to attract and retain the best talent Michigan has to offer. So without further ado, here's your host, Jesse Bill.
Speaker 1:Welcome back to the works podcast. This morning we have Kristin Zagorski with us. I'm from the upper thumb, my stem network. Good morning. Good morning. So glad that you could come in and join us. I know you came down from here on county, which is part of our GST, Michigan Work Service area. So thanks for making the trip. Yeah, thanks for having me. So why don't we just jump right in and talk a little bit about the, the my stem network. You know, what is my stem? I think a lot of times there's a ton of information out there about stem and steam and steam and any acronym you want to throw it. That's right. Yeah. Yeah. So the, my stem network is a newly legislated, um, state network. Um, the upper come region was established at the beginning of May in 2018. So essentially, um, we're, we're working with schools and businesses and our focus is we have four primary focus areas and those are what we call the pillars of our, of our infrastructure. Um, the first one being to create a stem culture. Um, just kind of bring awareness to what stem is and what stem can mean in our communities. Um, second is to empower stem teachers. A third pillar is to integrate business and education. And the fourth pillar is to provide high quality stem experiences for all students. So, um, the stem network is really focused on, um, equitable opportunities for all students. Um, and was really great is that, um, we've been divided even though it's a state led network. There are 16 regions throughout the state of Michigan and the upper thumb includes here on Tuscola and Similac counties. And it's nice that each region has their own director and, um, you can really put a personal, each region can put a personal spin on, um, you know, what's important, their own priorities for the region. Yeah, yeah. I love that. The, the flexibility of letting the local areas really, you know, shape what activities they do. And how do you define, um, the engagement with businesses or I'm always interested in, um, pillar number one, I guess in terms of how do you create a stem culture? Because there's so much information out there about culture just in general, whether it's, you know, culture within an employer or business or, um, of a community. And so, um, and there's, they all intertwined of course, with each other. Um, so I'm interested, I guess in, in hearing your perspective on, you know, sort of the foundation pieces of creating a stem culture in the region that you're working with. Sure. Well, the biggest thing is I'm just making sure that everyone speaks the same language. And, um, in doing that, you need to first define what stem is and stem is an acronym for science, technology, engineering and math. And, um, basically in order for businesses and education to speak the same language, we need to have a basic understanding of what stem means in our own region. So what kinds of careers are available related to science, technology, engineering and math. Um, in education that's more well known, like people understand the acronym because they're used to it because it's, you know, the content that they teach. Sure. But in business, you know, what does stem mean to businesses? And, um, you know, one of the, one of the priorities of the my stem network is to really hone in on those 21st century skills and to prepare students for 21st century jobs, some of which we don't even know what there'll be. Um, and so big emphasis on them. Yeah. I think it's interesting cause it's so much of everything just boils down to communication and understanding the person who's listening. Are you communicating to his perspective on how does this relate to me? What, how does this connect to me? We talk, I know in part of the, um, uh, advisory panel, you know, about jobs and agriculture for example. You know, in a lot of times people don't equate stem careers with agriculture careers and lessons, you know, maybe a, a chemist or maybe an engineering, but you think about, you know, so many occupations that exist in our region that are absolutely stem careers, but you know, how has that been defined to the employer who's communicating the career opportunity and what that pathway looks like? Right, right. Yeah. Well, and that's, that's part of what the, my stem network has really focused on is creating that career awareness and, um, creating those pathways and, you know, putting together a stem pipeline for some of those different careers that are specific to our region's needs. Yeah, I think, you know, it's even been mentioned a few times that even from an educator's perspective, if you, um, you know, ask a a group of teachers, let's say, um, you know, about, you know, their perspective on um, stem and maybe they're an English teacher and they don't always identify that that's necessarily part of, you know, their role. That's not their area of expertise necessarily, but it's even true there. Right? In, well the thing is to Jesse is that, you know, stem doesn't just apply to science technology or engineering or math teachers. Stem is across curricular approach to teaching. And a lot of times it's a method of teaching or a method of problem solving that's used, um, in relationship to one of those four core areas. So it's very cross curricular. You can be an English teacher and you can still conduct a lesson. You know about literature but then tie it to science or to math or engineering. And um, really what it's about is stem is more of a catalyst. It's more of a lens through which people can look to, to do their learning. It's a lens that they can look through, um, that enables students to, you know, think critically and problem solve. Yeah. Wow. There's so many different, I mean, when you think about, um, I guess just from the occupations that are available right now today and just the opportunities that really are available to students, um, there's such an opportunity for people to come together. I think that's what I've enjoyed so much in learning more about the stem network and as you've, you know, developed in the, the upper thumb area. I've had a chance to kind of participate in some of those discussions and the willingness of people to come together and create that common language. Um, I think exists, you know, everywhere. Certainly not just in one portion of the region but everywhere. So it's a matter of kind of organizing that and you kind of come from a unique perspective in the situation because, um, when we want, let's talk about what your background is because I know that you are also a private business owner. Sure. Yeah. Um, I had came from 15 years of experience in education, um, as a classroom teacher as well as some various administrative roles. Um, my parents were both teachers, so long history of education, but then yes, my husband and I are both, uh, we own a small business and the case fell area and we've been doing that now for about 11 years as well. So I do have, I can see multiple perspectives, um, both as the role of the teacher through education as well as, um, you know, community business owner. Um, we're also extremely involved with our local chamber of Commerce. Um, so I do see both sides and I see the need to, you know, promote career awareness and to inform students of what their options are and what the pathways could look like in order to achieve their career goals. So, and you know, as business owner, the idea of sustainability in our community is very important. You know, we live in a very rural area. So promoting the careers and the opportunities that are available in our region are really important as you know, we wish to maintain, you know, sustainable, viable communities. So that's fantastic. Yeah, I think that's a, you know, you hear so often, and this has come up in conversation I think, um, in some of our discussions in the past where, um, uh, going back to that piece of common language and then people's willingness to participate, then what comes next is creating the opportunity for action to take place. What, what can we do next? And, you know, I think, um, so can we talk, let's talk a little bit about, you know, maybe the, the challenges that have existed in opportunities to overcome those because they think, you know, the, the thing, um, I know you've interviewed a number of business owners and so I'm just interested in your perspective on that. Well. Um, when I first started back in May of 2018, uh, one of my big priorities was because I was already familiar with the education scene, um, was getting out into the different counties and meeting the different business owners and all kinds of industry, manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture, um, all the different, you know, main industries within our region. And so that was my primary focus and one of the things that I did, um, in order to invite people to the table, basically to introduce the my stem network, tell them a little bit about what I, what I'm trying to do, who I am, um, and explain the purpose was I hosted, um, we call them snack and chat meetings and I invited a variety of people from different industries, Higher Education, k, 12 education, um, community organizations, et Cetera, obviously business into industries and invited them to the table to basically have a discussion and introduced them, give them some background information and invite them to ask questions, participate and then hopefully, you know, be involved down the road. Because ideally what we're looking for, our partnerships, we would like to create partnerships between businesses and education, you know, making matches with schools and businesses within those, those local school district areas so that we can promote the job opportunities that would be available to students once they graduate. And to kind of prepare them for those kinds of opportunities and, and to steer them down a pathway that could lead them to those kinds of careers that would be available. Absolutely. Yeah. If you lured a solid with that keyword snack, even though, you know, we're all there for the good cause too, but, oh, there's going to be snacks. Okay. Let's chat. Everybody loves. So I, I guess, um, you know, one of the things that we like to do on the podcast is talk about successes and success stories and I certainly look forward to as, as things evolve, um, you know, having you come back on and share with us, you know, some of the really cool things that are happening, but I know already, um, one thing that's happened is you've released an opportunity for educators to go after a mini grant. Yes. And so let's talk a little bit about that. Sure. So one of our biggest successes in the upper on region is the fact that we have, um, a very diverse group of people who have volunteered to come together to act as an advisory panel for our stem network. And that includes, um, you know, business leaders, community leaders, education leaders, um, as well as yourself. And, um, so it's a great mix of people and who are committed to the cause. And one of the priorities that we made as a group was to offer this opportunity to school teachers, um, basically to help promote the network and to get the ball rolling and to let them know that we're here to support them and to provide resources. So, um, the grant is a, it's very simple application. Um, basically it's a$500 individual teacher grant, um, and we're asking them to focus on project based learning projects or, um, if they can integrate a business or find a community partner to work with, then they can apply for up to a thousand dollars. Individual teachers can apply for$500. If it's like a classroom project or working with the team of teachers, but if they can include a community or business partner, then um, the opportunity to apply for$1,000 is there. So, and, and we've allocated, um, a lot of money to this project and we're really hoping to be able to award funds to every district, uh, each of the 23 districts in the three counties. Wow. So how long will that application be open? The application deadline is February one. Okay. And, um, we have a great group of people who have volunteered to review the grant applications and we're hoping to have a quick turnaround and be able to announce awards by the middle of February by February 15th, and then the funds would be available very soon thereafter. Wow. Yeah. So creating real change, incremental change, but real change and what a great opportunity. And so for businesses in the area that, um, are listening that may be interested in participating, I mean, what a great incentive to figure out, you know, if you want to get a foothold in with the community reaching out to your, you or your local school does their local school district, I mean, it could be a great opportunity to bring a little bit of extra money in for the project, but making that connection. Yeah. And it doesn't necessarily have to be a new partnership either. Um, I've had some schools, some people ask, uh, you know, does it need to be a new partnership? Can it be an existing program? But they're looking to revise it or it, and that's absolutely acceptable as well. Great. Great. Well, thank you so much for coming in this morning and thanks for adding me, telling us all about my stem and we look forward to seeing what the future holds. Thank you so much. Thanks.