According to CNN, there are a little over 100,000 open STEM positions nationwide.

100Kin10 is a New York-based nonprofit that is seeking to train and place 100,000 teachers in STEM subjects by 2021.

Funded through grants, the nonprofit has evolved into an organization of 230 public and private partners. Since it started four years ago, it announced this week it has trained and placed 28,000 STEM teachers thus far.

Executive director and co-founder Talia Milgrom-Elcott started the organization after a State of the Union address from President Barack Obama called for 100,000 STEM teacher over the next decade, said The Chicago Tribune.

In May, the nonprofit held a two-day 100Kin10 Partner Summit at the Museum of Science and Industry where 200 individuals from its partner organizations gathered and discussed ideas on how to keep its goal of 100,000 teachers in six years.

"The summit addressed challenges such as STEM teachers’ need for flexibility and room to experiment; a lack of relevant high-quality professional development and support for STEM teachers; a lack of access to quality classroom resources and curricula; and the image of teaching as an undesirable career option for STEM college graduates,” The Chicago Tribune said.

To add to its ramped-up efforts, in late September, the nonprofit successfully closed a funding round where it was able to raise $6 million for its cause, adding to $80 million in funding raised prior, said Civsourceonline.com. 

So far, it has created partnerships with several colleges, including Rider University which has “launched a nine-month program in 2014 to train new STEM teachers,” CNN said. The program is dedicated to individuals who wanted to “shift gears in their careers.”

Thus far, the program already has 11 of the 12 participants teaching.

"'We have our work cut out for us... As the economy improves, it will be harder to attract people to teaching. But I'm optimistic that we're building the momentum to get us there,’” founder Milgrom-Elcott told CNN.

Read more about 100kin10 here.

Article by Nicole Gorman, Education World Contributor

11/13/2015