From 2008 to 2011, Listening to America – a series of Educational Forums sponsored by The ExxonMobil Foundation – brought together key local education decision makers, elected officials, parents, teachers, and civic leaders to engage in a discussion around STEM education. The Educational Forum has visited 21 cities, with nearly 800 total participants who serve 1.7 million of our nation’s children.
Enhancing Academic Success for young girls through STEM!
The programs’ goals are to make STEM education more prevalent in students’ lives as well as to increase awareness among policymakers around the country about the need for improvements. The forums are an extension of the student-focused Dream Tour program.
Findings from previous forums have been compiled into a white paper.
For more information on hosting a tour, please contact The Harris Foundation at info@dev-harris-institute.pantheonsite.io.
“When I read in the program it was called a forum, I didn’t know what to expect – but we just had a great dialogue here talking about what we can do in America and Montana to try to improve the situation for students and families to try to make sure every child can have an opportunity to hopefully fulfill their potential. We talked about parents, we talked about kids, and we talked about teachers and one of the things I liked more than anything else was that we really did focus on the kid.”
Jack Copps
School Superintendent (Billings, Montana)
“Wonderful opportunity to hear different viewpoints on where education is, centering on what’s good for children, bringing people together who really do believe in working for and advocating for children to make sure that we put in place the teachers and the policies and procedures to support them to develop to their fullest potential.”
Theresa Clincy
Principal of Roosevelt Middle School (Oakland, California)
“The conversation we had here tonight was about the appropriate education of children. While the emphasis was math and science, primarily science, it has been a discussion that is appropriate and beneficial and ought to repeat itself across this country. It was great coming in and spending an hour and a half talking about the young people of this district, the young people in this country. And raising the question to challenge us, what are we going to do to more effectively do the job of educating them?”
Dr. Willie Giles
Chief Operating Officer (Indianapolis Public Schools)
