At the fall 2019 WIE Orientation, a group of female engineering freshmen chat on the south portico of Grainger Library as Grainger Bob looks on.

Directory of Campus STEM Education Programs/Projects

The pages listed below contain information about current externally- and internally-funded STEM education programs and projects at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign hosts a wide array of STEM education initiatives across many campus units. This directory features a number of STEM-education-related initiatives currently supported by external funds, as well as some unit-supported initiatives. Links provide direct access to project websites, project information posted by funders, principal investigators, and the academic units responsible for each project. Although this directory may list some projects only once, a number of active projects address more than one of these goal categories or audiences.

1. Foster STEM Citizenship Through STEM Communication & Public Engagement. Cultivate sustained, coordinated partnerships to engage the public in STEM experiences early and consistently, involving university faculty and students to help meet STEM education challenges. An informed citizen should have the ability to apply critical-thinking skills needed to understand complex, STEM-related issues, to develop his or her own views, and to act accordingly. Disseminate information about STEM Education Initiatives.
• Campus Projects that Target P-16 Students. Dustained, coordinated preschool through undergraduate STEM education programs on campus seek to engage students in STEM experiences early and consistently, involving university faculty and students to meet STEM education challenges.
• Campus Projects that Target STEM Education Teachers. Projects that target this audience seek to improve STEM teacher training and professional development quality, with the goal of revitalizing STEM teacher preservice education, induction, and professional development programs that attract and prepare a diverse group of P–16 STEM teachers and promote their effectiveness, retention, lifelong learning, and continued involvement in research.
2. Campus Projects Targeting Undergraduate and Graduate STEM Education Reform. Accessible, engaging undergraduate STEM programs and research experiences that promote interest and success in STEM fields, including STEM teaching, for diverse students.
3. Campus Projects Related to STEM Education Advocacy. Projects that promote partnerships with Illinois business and industry, government agencies, educational institutions, and professional associations to understand the STEM pipeline, mainline and workforce development needs, opportunities, and challenges and to serve as advocates within the state.