The STEM East Network, guided by the ENC Employers and Superintendents Council, hosted the 3rd Annual E2 Summit on Thursday, April 7th, in Greenville, NC. The well attended event hosted employers and educators throughout eastern North Carolina and offered the attendees an opportunity to connect with peers and leaders in the education and workforce arenas. Dr. Steven Hill, Executive Director of STEM East officiated the event and was joined by business and economic professionals to discuss skill needs and projection reports that will affect the future workforce of Eastern NC.
The STEM East Network, guided by the ENC Employers and Superintendents Council, hosted the 3rd Annual E2 Summit on Thursday, April 7th, in Greenville, NC. The well attended event hosted employers and educators throughout eastern North Carolina and offered the attendees an opportunity to connect with peers and leaders in the education and workforce arenas. Dr. Steven Hill, Executive Director of STEM East officiated the event and was joined by business and economic professionals to discuss skill needs and projection reports that will affect the future workforce of Eastern NC.
Over 300 educators and over 50 employers convened at the Greenville Convention Center to see live demonstrations and regional examples of evolving STEM Ecosystems within school districts and the scalability of the work. The purpose of the event was to facilitate the engagement of educators and employers for the discovery and alignment of STEM education initiatives, and the increased relevancy of instruction. The focus of this approach was to better inform educators on the skill needs of employers so that educators can better advise and instruct students on career pathways. Dr. Steven Hill, Executive Director for the STEM East Network stated, “We are so pleased with the partnerships being developed between employers and educators in eastern North Carolina – all led by the ENC Employers & Superintendents Council. The work is a “win-win-win” for students, educators and employers as it adds relevancy to curriculums, resources for educators and STEM skilled graduates for employers.”
The attendees heard presentations from representatives of the Greene County School System, Dr. Sam Houston, President of the NC Science, Mathematics & Technology Center, Dr. Haiyong Liu from The Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences at East Carolina University and a panel of regional employers. Attendees had multiple opportunities to network and connect throughout the event.
The capstone to the event was the presentation of the STEM East Network’s Employer of the Year and Teacher of the Year. The STEM East Network was pleased to present Fleet Readiness Center East with Employer of the Year. Mark Meno, Research and Engineering Group Head accepted the award on behalf of Fleet Readiness Center East. “It is wonderful to see proactive employers and engaging educators receive recognition for their work.”, said Dr. Hill. “FRC East is a leader in career pathway development and provides continuous support to regional schools.” Ms. Lila Hackett was named the STEM East Network Teacher of the Year for her contributions and dedication to the STEM initiative in eastern NC. “Ms. Hackett demonstrates a high level of student engagement, critical thinking skills development and peer collaboration in her classes as well as guidance for students seeking career opportunities.”, added Dr. Hill.
The STEM East Network would like to specifically thank the Duke Energy Foundation for its continued support of the STEM initiative in eastern North Carolina, as well as The Burroughs Wellcome Fund and The National STEM Funder’s Network. The partnership between these entities has fostered exceptional growth in STEM education throughout eastern North Carolina.