JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Aug. 24, 2017 — Leaders of the STEM Learning Ecosystems Initiative have announced that Kathleen Schofield, the director of K-12 programs for the Northeast Florida STEM2 Hub, has been selected as a member of the inaugural LEAD STEM cohort.
LEAD STEM is a new and unique leadership development experience that will empower and arm individuals with skills to shape the future of STEM education in measurable ways across the country. As one of 20 fellows in the initial national cohort, she will be trained on policy, fundraising, relationship building, and leadership development by recognized and respected experts in a variety of fields and industries. Upon completion of the year-long professional development program, she will be positioned as the knowledge source and authority in advancing how STEM is defined in the United States, and how education and access is provided to all.
As one of 56 STEM Learning Ecosystems across the country, the Northeast Florida STEM2 Hub encompasses schools, community settings such as after-school and summer programs, science centers and museums, and informal experiences at home and in a variety of environments that together constitute a rich array of learning opportunities for young people.
“STEM Learning Ecosystem leadership requires a variety of skills and dispositions. Effective Ecosystem leaders are not only innovative critical thinkers and excellent communicators; they have a deep understanding of and ability to change systems, and they lead through mobilizing a variety of partners,” said Gerald Solomon, the executive director of the Samueli Foundation and co-founder of STEM Learning Ecosystems.
“Every participant in LEAD STEM will experience a relevant development opportunity that results in personal and professional growth, addresses key challenges within their local STEM Learning Ecosystems, and engages them in a national network of leaders who are actively working to successfully connect STEM education with the workforce needs in our country,” said Jan Morrison, president of Teaching Institute for Excellence in STEM, and a founding partner.
“Kathleen Schofield is a leader in advancing the STEM agenda for Northeast Florida. Our community is fortunate to have someone with her expertise. Congratulations to Kathleen on her selection to LEAD STEM,” said STEM2 Hub board chair Gary Chartrand.
Schofield holds a master’s degree in education with an emphasis on technology integration in math and science, and a certificate in educational leadership. She is currently a doctoral candidate researching the impact of administrative leadership on teacher quality in elementary mathematics instruction. She has served as an adjunct professor at the University of North Florida, teaching Math Methods for Elementary Teachers, served on state and national committees, including the Florida DOE Standards Alignment Study, Mathematics Item Review and Standards Setting, PARCC Educator Leader Cadre, and serves on accreditation teams across the nation for district systems accreditation and STEM school accreditations.
Prior to joining the STEM2 Hub, Schofield served as the STEM Supervisor for the Clay County School District, serving over 36,000 students in 41 schools. In this capacity, she developed a nationally recognized STEM program, in which 97 percent of all schools in the district have a robotics program. Kathleen has written and been awarded over $14 million in competitive grants, and served as project director, implementing multiple successful STEM programs yielding strong learning gains for both teachers and students. In 2016, she was recognized with the Jacksonville Business Journal’s Innovators in Education Award for her successful pursuit of U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) funding to improve outcomes for military-connected students in Clay County.
Schofield is a national consultant in lesson study with a focus on shifting instruction in mathematics classrooms towards an inquiry-based, collaborative setting by embracing the standards for mathematical practices, and uncovering student misconceptions in math and science.
Led by director Angela Baber, Schofield and her cohort fellows will convene at their first meeting in Kansas City, Missouri in October. Through the fellowship, Schofield will be working on a local capstone project that will determine and address a specific STEM-related need in northeast Florida, and communities will benefit from the collective expertise of a network of dynamic STEM leaders committed to moving the needle.
About the Northeast Florida STEM2 Hub
The Northeast Florida STEM2 Hub represents an investment by 15 companies headquartered in Jacksonville to convene, inspire, and invest in the STEM2 field by providing the essential missing elements to accelerate the growth of STEM2 education and careers in Baker, Clay, Duval, Flagler, Nassau, Putnam, and St. Johns counties. For a list of corporate board members and more information about the STEM2 field in Northeast Florida, visit our website at stem2hub.org.
About the STEM Learning Ecosystems Initiative
The STEM Learning Ecosystems Initiative cultivates and supports more than 50 local Ecosystems working to improve access to high-quality STEM learning for all students. Launched in September 2015 by the STEM Funders Network, the Initiative empowers communities to bring together unlikely local partners and create systemic change to ensure more students, particularly underserved and underrepresented students, develop the STEM knowledge and skills they need to learn and thrive in today’s world. Visit http://stemecosystems.org/ or @STEMEcosystems.
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