US2020: City of Philadelphia wins part of $1M federal STEM grant

The City of Philadelphia will be one of seven cities to launch a one-year, federally-funded STEM mentorship program, according to a release. The federal competition, named US2020, was a response to President Obama’s challenge for cities to get more students interested in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

The seven cities will share a $1 million grant to run the program, though a spokeswoman said it is not yet clear how much Philadelphia will get. It’s also not clear when the program will start, the spokeswoman said.

Philadelphia’s winning proposal focuses on matching local youth, especially girls, low-income students and minorities, with STEM professionals. The proposal includes 50 partners, including corporations like Saint-Gobain, Microsoft, GlaxoSmithKline and youth programs like Spark Philadelphia, The Hacktory and Temple’s MESA program. The program will be led by Lori Shorr, the School District’s Chief Education Officer.