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Camarillo, Calif., Sept. 8, 2015 – Ventura County will be one of 27 regions to pilot a national effort known as a “STEM Learning Ecosystems Initiative.”

A local network called VC STEM has just been named as a “STEM Ecosystem” by the STEM Funders Network, a nationwide initiative devoted to creating STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) learning opportunities for students from pre-school to college.

VC STEM is a network of companies, universities, government agencies, museums and a host of other local organizations that includes CSU Channel Islands (CI).

The network is aimed at developing ways to enhance STEM education for students from pre-school through college with input from all cooperating schools, agencies, businesses, parks and universities.

VC STEM Planning Director Philip Hampton, Ph.D., a Professor of Chemistry at CI, said Amgen nominated VC STEM for the honor. Nominations were by invitation only and there were more than 70 nominees from all over the U.S.

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“Ventura County is a very unique environment with a lot of STEM potential,” Hampton said. “We have our national parks partnering with the community, with us and California Lutheran University. We have community colleges offering STEM associate degrees. We have the maritime museum, the Gull Wings Children’s Museum. Ventura County is truly exceptional.”

Amgen Foundation – the charitable arm of Amgen, a leading biotechnology company in Thousand Oaks – made VC STEM possible at the end of 2014 by funding a $75,000 grant proposal put together by a CI steering committee headed by Hampton.

VC STEM was launched under the Ventura County P-20 Regional Council, a group of decision-makers from education, business, parent organizations and other community agencies committed to enhancing the community’s educational system.  The P-20 Council is chaired by CI President Richard R. Rush.

The national STEM Funders Network is a collaboration of more than 20 philanthropic organizations around the country devoted to strengthening STEM education in the U.S. through a system of regional networks such as VC STEM.

“You have been invited to join this inaugural Community of Practice because your community, with your individual leadership, has demonstrated a deep commitment for STEM learning across multiple platforms,” read a letter signed by STEM Funders Network co-chairs Ron Ottinger and Gerald Solomon. “This will not be easy work. It will take time. And it will no doubt often be messy. But in the end, we will have cultivated a new architecture from which STEM learning can flourish.”

VC STEM is less than a year old, so lots of initiatives are in the planning stages, but Hampton said the team is enthusiastic about the wealth of STEM resources in the county.

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“At the top of the Conejo Grade is Amgen, a biotechnology powerhouse,” said VC STEM co-founder Marcella Klein Williams, Ed.D. “At the bottom of the grade is CSU Channel Islands, the recipient of multiple grants supporting STEM teaching and learning. Near the coast is Naval Base Ventura County and right on the water is Channel Islands National Park. Opportunities for learning and working in a STEM field are plentiful.”

One idea Hampton likes is perhaps creating an extra STEM certification program for elementary school teachers so they can go back to their schools and help all teachers interest students in science and math.

Instilling a sense of excitement about science is something that is more effective when children are young, Hampton said. “Kids are natural-born scientists,” Hampton said. “If you don’t catch them before fifth grade, too often they get turned off. I want them to share a love of science…a love of wonder in the world.”

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About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands
(CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more by visiting CI's Social Media.

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