With grant support, the Million Girl Moonshot program has reached thousands of girls across Michigan, offering mentorship and resources to shape future female leaders in STEM. Ryan Stinson/STEM@SVSU
Acquiring the title of “Chief’ doesn’t typically happen until later in a career. This year 93 students in the Great Lakes Bay Region will earn the title Chief Science Officer before graduating from high school.
The Chief Science Officer program originated in Arizona in 2015. A representative from Saginaw Valley State University brought it to Michigan in 2017 after traveling to Arizona to learn about the program.
The Chief Science Officer (CSO) program aims to increase interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) among middle and high school students. Participants are elected to be a CSO by peers and teachers. The program opens young people’s eyes to STEM opportunities and empowers them with the skills required for jobs in the industry.
“The program trains students about STEM, then they go back to their schools and create STEM projects and events, furthering the reach of STEM knowledge to hundreds of other students,” says Lori Flippin, STEM Initiative Leader for the Great Lakes Bay Regional Alliance. “There’s a multiplying effect, creating an army of kids promoting STEM.”
CSO’s goals include creating a pipeline of young diverse STEM leaders, fostering communication and collaboration among CSOs, enriching STEM culture and career awareness in schools, and increasing students’ voices in STEM conversations in the community.
Participants are prepared to lead STEM events or projects and interact with professionals in the field throughout the region. CSOs create action plans to expand the impact of STEM and expose fellow students to STEM opportunities. Students gain essential skills as CSOs including leadership, communication, teamwork, problem-solving and the confidence to use their voice.
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Photo courtesy of STEM@SVSUThe Chief Science Officer (CSO) programs aim to increase interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) among middle and high school students. The program is active at SVSU and CMU.While teaching in Bridgeport, Jake Lounsbury brought a student to a CSO event and ended up joining the effort to expand the program.
He is now leading the STEM@SVSU Center, working to expand the CSO program and grow other initiatives to further spread knowledge of STEM opportunities among K-12 schools in the area.
The STEM@SVSU Center was founded in 2014 with support from Dow. The center serves as a network to link K-12, university, and regional employers. Its purpose is to develop a STEM talent pipeline to meet the current and future needs of the Great Lakes Bay area.
To accomplish its goals, the center focuses on increasing experiential learning for students at all grade levels, engaging STEM professionals to enhance learning, and providing professional development for teachers.
Lounsbury believes 80% of careers in Michigan involve STEM in some way. But most people don’t realize that.
“The purpose of STEM@SVSU is building a pipeline of young learners, introducing them to STEM opportunities they didn’t know about, and showing them career paths at SVSU to get there,” explains Lounsbury.
Creating experiences to expose kids to STEM jobs by allowing them to see someone they can relate to doing a job they didn’t know existed, Lounsbury says this is what CSO does best.
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Ryan Stinson/STEM@SVSUAn ambitious program aimed at inspiring young girls to envision themselves in STEM fields, the Million Dollar Girl Moonshot focuses on fostering entrepreneurship and innovation skills.He recalls asking a student what she wanted to do when she grew up. She answered “a teacher.” Lounsbury wasn’t surprised based on the limited circle of exposure to options most students obtain in school.
“Participating in an event at Dow, the student met the company’s head of cyber security … a job she didn’t know existed,” says Lounsbury. “Now she’s pursuing a degree in coding.”
STEM@SVSU hosts a field trip to Michigan Sugar Co. introducing fourth through seventh graders to STEM-related jobs at the Bay City company.
“Most kids don’t know what goes on at the Michigan Sugar plant,” says Lounsbury. “Engaging with business partners like this gives young people a chance to see for themselves how STEM plays a role in companies and opens their eyes to different jobs and options in the field.
CSOs develop action plans to share STEM opportunities with fellow students. Participants are challenged with identifying their STEM passion and then encouraged to share it with peers. Together, CSOs work as a cabinet to collaboratively engage in conversations about STEM education and work on collective action projects.
A Midland student was interested in flying. She created Air Fair, taking fellow students to the local airport to learn how STEM plays a role in running a regional airport and flying planes.
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Photo courtesy of STEM@SVSUExperts believe 80% of careers in the near future will require STEM skills. The CSO program is designed to give kids in school today the skills they'll need for the jobs of the future.“Students relate best to other students,” says Lounsbury. “The activities developed by CSOs are a non-intimidating way for students to get involved and as a result they become aware of opportunities they never knew about. It opens up their circle of experience and expands what they think is possible.”
More than 90 middle and high school students are participating in this year’s GLBR East CSO Cabinet, representing 31 schools and 16 school districts in counties including Bay, Midland, and Saginaw.
The cohort kicked off in August at SVSU’s Leadership Training Institute. Aspiring CSOs competed in a STEMazing Race event around campus, networked with over 30 STEM professionals and began working on their Action Plans to implement in their schools.
The Great Lakes Bay Regional Alliance and SVSU brought the first cohort of Chief Science Officers to the state. Central Michigan University started a second cohort three years ago. This summer a statewide effort launched to expand the program across the rest of Michigan.
“By next summer we’re hoping all students in the state have the chance to participate and earn the title of Chief Science Officer,” says Flippin.
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Photo courtesy of STEM@SVSUThe program trains middle and high school students in STEM. Then, the kids go back to their home schools and tell others what they've learned. STEM@SVSU offers additional hands-on programs to introduce students to STEM fields, encouraging exploration and skill-building in ways that are both engaging and educational:
- Hour of Code (fourth graders): Introduced at an early age, this program aims to familiarize young learners with basic coding concepts. SVSU’s Hour of Code reaches fourth grade students through interactive coding exercises, introducing thousands of Michigan students to the world of computer science, sparking interest in potential careers in software development and IT.
- Science Math Extravaganza for Kids (SMEK): SMEK is a STEM camp offering children a deep dive into science and math. Using experiments and problem-solving challenges, SMEK engages hundreds of young students annually, teaching them the principles of physics, chemistry, and mathematics. This camp has successfully motivated students to consider STEM careers while developing critical thinking and collaborative skills.
- Stemapalooza with Girl Scouts: Collaborating with the Girl Scouts, SVSU provides a STEM festival combining fun with STEM learning. Stemapalooza encourages young girls to engage with STEM concepts, helping bridge the gender gap in fields such as engineering and computer science. This initiative empowers girls, giving them the confidence and knowledge to pursue careers in STEM.
- Million Girl Moonshot: An ambitious program aimed at inspiring young girls to envision themselves in STEM fields, the Million Girl Moonshot focuses on fostering entrepreneurship and innovation skills. With grant support, the program has reached thousands of girls across Michigan, offering mentorship and resources to shape future female leaders in STEM.
As Michigan strives to cultivate a robust STEM workforce, efforts like SVSU and the Great Lakes Bay Regional Alliance are inspiring the region’s youth and laying the groundwork for a more skilled workforce, helping to ensure Michigan remains competitive in a tech-driven economy.
“We are growing and training our talent, opening their eyes to local opportunities, encouraging them to pursue STEM careers and showing them how to have an impact here in our region,” says Flippin.
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Kathy Backus has been telling stories for more than 30 years. As a freelance writer, she has crafted stories for daily newspapers and magazines in Detroit and throughout Michigan. Establishing Backus Public Relations, Inc. in the early ‘90s; she leads a team of experts in creating eye-catching print and digital projects. Most recently, Kathy returned to her alma mater. Teaching in Central Michigan University’s Journalism Department has allowed her to train future journalists and public relations practitioners. Her insatiable curiosity and passion for storytelling led her back to freelance writing. In her free time, Kathy loves cooking, listening to podcasts and audiobooks and hanging out with family and friends … and her two dogs, too.