Mission
Provide educational programs about available technology and its uses and benefits. Sponsor students through scholarships and grants to pursue careers in technology. Coordinating other programs as are consistent with education and charitable goals.
Vision
The Arizona Technology Council Foundation will be a collaborative organization, serving to productively align the technology-oriented assets of the State, and attracting grants, resources and support from both within and beyond the State’s borders by promoting and connecting Arizona’s industries, leaders and successes and building a world class community of technology sophisticated workers.
Strategic Goals:
- To establish the foundation as the conduit for collaboration among technology-oriented non-profits, industry and academia.
- To develop sustainable funding sources by cultivating the local environment through leveraging successful collaborations with national networks among government, industry, foundations and top-tier venture capital firms.
- To support and promote initiatives that attract, grow and retain world-class technology talent in Arizona.
Help us commit resources to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) in this time of economic crisis*.
The most recent K-12 STEM Education Report Card reveals Arizona is ranked 49th in per pupil expenditure and 50th in pupil/teacher ratio. Current budget cuts are further reducing funding for education and forcing districts to raise class sizes.
Budget cuts at the state and local levels are threatening Arizona's future as a key player in the global economy. Among the $580 million in cuts in the revised 2009 budget are several with detrimental consequences for Arizona's commitment to STEM:
- A reduction of $142 million for the state's university system;
- A reduction of $133 million for K-12 education, including $2 million to strengthen science and math teaching;
- A funding sweep of all $22.5 million from the 21st Century Fund, which provides funding for the grant programs of Science Foundation Arizona (SFAz);
- A rollback of $7 million for graduate medical education as part of cuts to the state healthcare program for the indigent;
- A revision in legislation permitting the Arizona Board of Regents to issue bonds for critical infrastructure improvements at the universities, lowering the total from $1 billion to $800 million.
- A funding sweep of $34.4 million from resources administered by the Department of Commerce, including $21.7 million designated for workforce development.
(Arizona Bioscience News, Feb 6, 2009)
The 2010 budget will require an additional 30% reduction in spending and will most likely be taken from the biggest pools: K-12 education 42% and Higher Education 10%.
ANSWER: STEM the Tide! Campaign
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- ADE estimates Arizona will need an additional 400 high school mathematics teachers
- 250 additional high school science teachers each year just to break even
- Together, all programs in the State produce between 200 and 300 each year
- Currently ASU, with the largest programs in the state, produces about 90 each year
EXAMPLE: A typical STEM Teacher Scenario
Mathematics teacher, degree in physics education, ten years experience
1. Average teaching salary.
- $40K - $14K taxes and benefits = $26,666
2. The cost of benefits for teacher and dependents.
- Around $7000 a year and going up faster than salaries
3. Number of graduate level credits district requires to advance on the pay scale and the dollar amount of that advance.
- 45 credits = $7500
- Credits cost $385 each. Cost = $4620 per year for 4 years.
- Net pay now $22,046 for 4 years.
4. How do you supplement your basic salary?
- Coach softball during the fall and do webpage and photo business throughout the year
ANSWER: Funds for STEM Teacher Stipends and Scholarships
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K-12 Science & Math education is essential for a skilled workforce. Of the 30 fastest-growing occupations projected through 2016, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook concludes that 16 of them will require substantial Mathematics or Science preparation.
Interest in STEM Education is declining and most students are not adequately prepared to succeed in college-level coursework. According to the ACT Educational Planning & Assessment System (ACT EPAS), students most likely to major in STEM fields in college (and persist to earn their degrees) are those who develop interest in STEM careers through early career planning and take challenging classes that prepare them for college-level science and math coursework.
- FACT: Over the past ten years, the percentage of ACT-tested students who said they were interested in majoring in engineering has dropped steadily from 7.6 percent to 4.9 percent.
- FACT: Over the past five years, the percentage of ACT-tested students who said they were interested in majoring in computer and information science has dropped steadily from 4.5 percent to 2.9 percent. However, students who plan early and strategically and have access to high-level and rigorous coursework are more likely to be prepared to succeed in the STEM fields.
Arizona ranks 41st in the percentage of students taking an AP Science Exam, and 36th in the percentage of students taking an AP Math Exam both strong indicators of preparation for STEM careers.
ANSWER: Funds to Support Student Internships
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