Public, Private Sectors Invest Billions in STEM Program Funding
Private- and public-sector funding of STEM education programs in the U.S. stands at about $12 billion annually, according to a recent report from the Federation of American Scientists in partnership with the Alliance for Learning Innovation. Business and industry invest more than $5 billion of that, federal agencies about $4 billion. Charitable giving, K-12 schools and higher education each invest about $1 billion in STEM programs, the report estimates.
It may not be enough. CodeWizardsHQ, a provider of online coding courses, maintains what it calls the Ultimate List of STEM Statistics, which was last updated in November. One statistic, using Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data, is that STEM jobs will increase by 10.4% by 2033, non-STEM jobs by 3.6%. Also from BLS: Software development employment is forecast to grow by 17% in the next nine years.
According to Code.org, which advocates for greater access to computer science and artificial intelligence in K-12 curricula, just 6.4% of high school students were enrolled in foundational computer science classes in the past year, and only 60% of high schools offer one. These are among the many statistics included in CodeWizardsHQ’s list.
Mountains of evidence point to a growing demand for STEM-educated workers in the years ahead with some even pointing to a STEM talent crisis already in place. Those public- and private-sector dollars going to STEM program funding are going a long way to helping alleviate the situation.
Fast-Lane STEM Support
In 2022, Toyota USA Foundation rolled out a program called Driving Possibilities, which funds STEM programs in communities across the country where Toyota has operations. The programs typically are run in partnership with local higher education institutions. A West Dallas STEM School program is the inspiration for Driving Possibilities.
According to a Toyota program description, “Through the development of a STEM-based school program, Toyota, SMU, Dallas ISD and the West Dallas community partnered to create a successful concept that is now being adopted in communities across the country. The long-term initiative of Toyota USA Foundation focuses on PreK-12 education, building on Toyota’s existing programs across the country. The aim is to close educational gaps for all students through innovative, hands-on STEM programming that leverages unique assets and resources in the equal-partner relationship.”
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In addition to the Dallas metro program, Driving Possibilities can be found in Southeast Michigan where a new STEM Institute is now in place. Funding there is administered by Eastern Michigan University and the Community Transportation Association of America. In Kentucky, Toyota is working with Scott County, Fayette County and the Ignite Institute in Northern Kentucky to expand students’ awareness of STEM careers. Communities in Southern Indiana and Alabama, too, are home to Driving Opportunities program funding.
In March, grants of up to $9.3 million in Driving Possibilities funds were awarded to support STEM programs in Chandler and Tempe, Arizona. “Our goal is to increase awareness of future STEM careers while helping build sustainable programs in the communities where our Toyota team members live and work,” said Tellis Bethel, Toyota group vice president of social innovation, in a release. “With nearly $2 million in the first year, and more to come in years ahead, we’re looking forward to the expansion of Driving Possibilities in the Phoenix area.”
In August, Toyota USA Foundation awarded up to $8.6 million for STEM programs in Fulton County, Georgia, schools. “Georgia is home to crucial Toyota Financial Services and Lexus operations, and we want to demonstrate how much we appreciate our local communities,” said Scott Cooke, Toyota Financial Services president and CEO, announcing the funding. “We consider it a privilege to support Fulton County Schools educators who are providing young people with essential knowledge and skillsets in science, technology, engineering and math.”
NSF, DoD Weigh In
Also in August, Intel and the U.S. National Science Foundation announced a $7.6 million investment in six projects “to advance equitable STEM education and training opportunities that strengthen the nation’s semiconductor workforce,” according to a release. It’s part of a 10-year partnership that will in time invest $100 million “to address semiconductor design and manufacturing challenges and workforce shortages nationwide.”
In one of many examples of public-sector support for STEM education, the Department of Defense (DoD) has awarded the Defense Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education Consortium (DSEC) Cooperative Agreement to the Research Triangle Institute in Raleigh, North Carolina, which, with a consortium of over 25 regional and national partners, provides STEM education and outreach programs across the nation. DoD considers such programs to be “foundational to the department’s strategy to build a 21st century workforce with the skills and talent to meet evolving defense challenges.”
According to a DoD statement, the consortium “will receive up to $190 million over the course of 10 years to implement a diversity of STEM programming, allowing the department to increase the permeability of ideas into its science and engineering workforce. These partnerships will deliver far‐reaching sustainable and scalable programs, providing unique hands-on learning experiences where students can work side-by-side with the nation’s best scientists and engineers on cutting-edge research and development.”
