Camarillo, Calif., Nov. 16, 2015 – CSU Channel Islands (CI) Professor of Chemistry Philip Hampton, Ph.D. was in Washington D.C. this week as Planning Director of the Ventura County STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) Ecosystem.
Hampton and three other members of the VC STEM steering committee were participating in the inaugural “Community of Practice Convening,” organized by the STEM Funder’s Network.
The convention was the first of its kind, in which the 27 STEM Ecosystems got together to meet and brainstorm about the mission they have undertaken in each of their communities: to enhance STEM education for students from pre-school through college.
“The sessions have shown us how different ecosystems came about, how they are structured, and how they are developing a shared, collective vision of STEM excellence in their communities,” Hampton said. “The entire state of Oregon is one community. Another is a city: the city of Chicago. We were all able to learn from one another.”
The VC STEM Ecosystem is a cooperative of universities, government agencies, museums and a host of other local organizations. He sees Ventura County as an ideal location for a STEM Ecosystem.
“The time is right for Ventura County. We’ve had a three-year planning process to launch VC STEM,” he said. “We have multiple grants, national parks, high tech companies like Amgen and Baxter, but we have challenges, too. We have unequal access to STEM education, and we have opportunities to enhance that.”
The three other steering committee members who traveled to the nation’s capitol with Hampton were: Jessica Halloran, Senior Manager of Corporate Philanthropy at Amgen; Tiffany Morse, Ph.D., Director of Career Education at the Ventura County Office of Education; and Marcella Klein Williams, Ed.D., the co-founder of the VC STEM Network and co-founder of Solve for Pattern, an organization that connects STEM learning with regional workforce needs.
VC STEM was born out of 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, which organized the Washington D.C. summit, is a collaboration of more than 20 philanthropic organizations around the U.S. that are committed to enhancing STEM education in the U.S. by creating regional networks.
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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.