Equity Collective

The Philadelphia STEM Equity Collective was established in January 2020 to cultivate STEM equity, access, and inclusion in STEM career pathways for Philadelphia students who are traditionally underrepresented in STEM occupations.  Using a collective impact model and harnessing the resources of the Philadelphia STEM Ecosystem, the Philadelphia STEM Equity Collective (PSEC) is an initiative by GSK in collaboration with the Philadelphia Education Fund through its Philadelphia STEM Ecosystem.  It also includes engagement with an external evaluator and competitive programmatic grants for Ecosystem member organizations. 

goal

To increase the number of Black, Latinx and women

Philadelphia students going into  STEM careers by 2030.

This 10-year collaborative effort aims to bring together Philadelphia schools, out-of-school time providers, universities and colleges, employers, local government and the philanthropic community using a collective impact approach to identify and close gaps confronting children from backgrounds underrepresented in STEM.

guiding principles
& theory of change

Starting in January 2020, the Collective conducted a series of member meetings as well as one-on-one interviews with a variety of stakeholders and small group discussion resulting in “Guiding Principles” and a “Theory of Change” being developed and established.

 

Also from the above, the blueprint for the Collective Workgroups was established.  A Student Advisory Council, a Parent Advisory Council and a Measurement and Evaluation team will also be established and will be nurtured by the before mentioned Workgroups.

​

For more information on how the Guiding Principles and the Theory of Change were developed press the buttons below:

Collective workgroups

There are four Workgroups that were generated based on the Theory of Change: 

​

  • Home and Community

  • K-12 Education

  • Post-Secondary Education

  • Work Environment​​

​​

*A Student Advisory Council, a Parent Advisory Council and a Measurement and Evaluation team will also be established and will be nurtured by the before mentioned Workgroups.

​

To learn more about the Collective Workgroups, go HERE.

student advisory council 

The Collective is in the process of establishing its Student Advisory Council (SAC).  The goal of the SAC is to guide the efforts of the Collective through the student voice. The high school student members of the Council will help guide strategies and provide feedback on their effectiveness for the beneficiaries of the Collective. 

​

We expect to announce the SAC by November 2021.

parent/guardian
advisory council

The Collective is in the beginning stages of establishing its Parent/ Guardian Advisory Council (PAC).  

We expect to have the PAC by  Spring 2022.

steering
committee

In March 2021, the Philadelphia STEM Equity Collective began the process of establishing its Steering Committee and expect it be composed of 16 seats as follows:

 

  • A representative of the co-backbone and convener, Philadelphia Education Fund

  • A representative of the co-backbone and funder, GSK

  • A representative of the School District of Philadelphia

  • One each of the four Workgroups; Chairs who will be nominated and selected by the Workgroup

  • Two seats for high school students, who will be nominated and selected by the Student Advisory Council.

  • One seat to be filled by a parent/guardian of a K-12 student, who will be nominated and selected by the Parent Advisory Council.

  • Six “at-large” representatives

​

We expect to have a decision announced by November 2021.

​

To learn more about the selection process of Steering Committee, go HERE.

GSK stem equity grants

GSK will provide backbone support for the STEM Equity Collaborative, funding dedicated staff to drive the initiative at the Philadelphia Education Fund and through the time and talent of pro bono GSK volunteers. In addition, GSK will support in-school programming and community efforts through an annual grantmaking process as well as a shared measurement system to guide actions and track outcomes.

​

The above grants will only be available to the Philadelphia STEM Ecosystem members that participate in the Philadelphia STEM Equity Collective and to nonprofit organizations working to address inequity in STEM education and career pathways.

​

For more information on the grants, go to: GSK's US Community Partnership.

backbone
team

The Philadelphia STEM Equity Collective has a dedicated backbone team to support its members' efforts.  They are: