DENVER, Colo., March 25, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- mindSpark Learning® (MindSpark™), a nonprofit that creates and facilitates transformative professional learning experiences for educators and professionals globally, is paving the way for educators to upskill their computer science and STEM knowledge to bring more engaging and meaningful lessons to the classroom. STEMpath, its 24-credit hour graduate-level Computer Science (CS) certification program, is now accepting educator applications for its 2022 cohort.
STEMpath launched in 2019 in partnership with Metropolitan State University of Denver, Couragion, and Colorado Succeeds. Its unique mix of industry-driven coursework, work-based learning through externships, and professional learning provides a well-rounded perspective of CS far beyond the traditional skills of coding and programming. Cohort members have completed externships with industry partners, including Bitsbox, HomeAdvisor, Lockheed Martin, TTEC, Sphero EDU, Couragion, WeThrive and UpChieve.
STEMpath graduates have reported meaningful impact personally and professionally:
- 75% of 2019 graduates received a promotion with pay raise
- 81% of those that sign up for STEMpath complete the program in the 12-month timeframe
- 97% of all participants agreed that STEMpath had both an organizational and cultural impact on their schools as a whole
“STEM jobs are among the fastest growing in the nation, but there’s a gap in those prepared to fill these rolls,” said MindSpark CEO Kellie Lauth. “Educators are an essential part of the equation for student access to viable careers. We must build strategic alliances to upskill and engage our educators in workforce literacy. STEMpath bridges this gap by providing the most up-to-date STEM coursework and externship experience with real-world STEM industry partners to our participants. We’re thrilled to bring STEMpath into its fourth year and thankful for all our partners that make this program possible and accessible for educators.”
While the total cost of this program is valued at $14,000 USD for the 24-credit certificate, donations from community and industry partners have reduced the price per educator to $4,800 USD, resulting in participants graduating debt free.
Educators of all grade-levels and disciplines are invited to apply for STEMpath 2022 by the early application deadline, June 11, 2021, or standard application deadline, October 29, 2021, at www.mindspark.org/stem-path.
About mindSpark Learning
mindSpark Learning® (MindSpark™), a nonprofit founded as Share Fair Nation in 2007 and rebranded in 2017, empowers educators to solve society’s biggest challenges by providing transformative professional learning experiences. As social designers, MindSpark creates and facilitates custom professional development opportunities using a foundation of innovation, equity, sustainability, entrepreneurship, and community and industry partnerships.
Programs focus on STEM Skills, Leadership Training, Social and Emotional Learning, sports and coaching with mSL CAPITA, and our mindSpark Learning Toolkit. Each experience relates back to one of our four causes, our societal challenges we hope to help educators and students overcome: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Resilient and Health Communities, Sustained Transformation, and Workforce and Talent Development. We evaluate our success based on our S.P.A.R.K. goals, which we’ve designed to ensure our work makes a noticeable difference in the schools, districts and communities in which we serve.
MindSpark’s disruption cycle challenges partners to think and act differently by creating viable, long-term solutions. To date, mindSpark Learning has impacted more than 31,847 educators and 985,410 students in 3,472 schools across 50 states, Washington D.C and 68 countries. MindSpark has also built meaningful relationships with more than 650 industry and community partners. For more information, please visit www.mindspark.org.
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