Believe it. Build it. Be it.
Creating Career Opportunities For Kansas City's Urban Youth
Since 2014, SITE has partnered with local businesses and schools to promote positive career development opportunities in advanced manufacturing and STEM-related industries. SITE looks to transform the community and the job market by filling the skilled trades job gap and promoting the importance of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) in both schools and business.
By 2016, SITE accomplished several major goals, including relocating and partnering with the KC STEM Alliance (KC ecosySTEM), hosting an all-girls STEM Summit (GEM Day 2016), holding several small-group tours and hosting three nationally acclaimed Manufacturing (MFG) Day events. In 2015, SITE’s MFG Day was awarded a “Day of Proclamation” by City Council. Positive feedback from teachers and students alike indicates that we are shifting perceptions and enriching academics. Said one student after a tour, “I’m surprised at how interested I am in this, and I’m glad I got to have this opportunity.” Meanwhile, teachers are using SITE experiences to create more hands-on and relevant classroom experiences such as cross-disciplinary projects. In the next decade, SITE plans to build on its achievements to maximize reach and impact. The program goals are to:
Raise STEM awareness and engagement among students through various distribution channels including multi-media outlets, social networks and in- and out-of-school presentations.
Develop and facilitate externships annually with school districts in the Greater Kansas City Region to enable educators to create more successful curricula to advance students’ the STEM knowledge and skills.
Empower out-of-school and/or economically disconnected adults to tap into available opportunities for STEM career development in the Kansas City metropolitan area.
Develop a regional learning system focused on experiential opportunities available to students interested in pursuing careers in advanced manufacturing and other STEM fields.
“SITE’s mission is to increase education and economic opportunities for underserved and underrepresented individuals within the STEM economy. This work is done through place-based education, factory tours, workforce training, and real-world projects that develop affordable housing for the community we serve. ”
