Spotlight on Digital Media And Learning

9.17.10 | President Obama on Thursday announced a new initiative to raise student achievement in science and math over the next decade. Change the Equation, as the initiative is called, is a CEO-led effort to improve education in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

Change the Equation will encourage public private partnerships, bringing together businesses, nonprofits and foundations to work together to facilitate better teacher training and support successful science programs that encourage kids to tinker and create things, such as robotic competitions. 

“Our nation’s success depends on strengthening America’s role as the world’s engine of discovery and innovation,” the president said.  “And all the CEOs who are here today understand that their company’s future depends on their ability to harness the creativity and dynamism and insight of a new generation. And that leadership tomorrow depends on how we educate our students today—especially in science, technology, engineering and math.”

In conjunction with this effort, which falls under the administration’s Educate to Innovate campaign, the Macarthur Foundation and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) will create 30 new learning labs modeled after the YOUmedia digital space for teens at the Chicago Public Library.

The learning labs will combine innovative digital technologies with strong mentoring to help advance the president’s goal of empowering young people to be “makers and creators of things, rather than consumers.” Read more about YOUmedia at Spotlight.

To receive updates to the MacArthur/IMLS learning labs project, sign up here.