Oakland Schools, with the cooperation of numerous partners, established
the STEM Check Out Program (STEMco) in 2021. Between the 21-22 and 22-23 school years,
utilization of the STEMco program nearly tripled, creating a need for a more extensive check-
out inventory to meet the needs of students and teachers in Oakland County. For many districts
striving to encourage student exploration of STEM careers, these items would only be available
with the support of the Oakland Schools STEMco program. The STEMco program is
complemented by the STEMi program which is a traveling STEM lab/classroom that is used by
school districts throughout the county.
By strategically expanding the availability and utilization of STEM resources, Oakland Schools
aims to ensure equitable access to resources and to empower educators to integrate more
diverse and impactful STEM materials into their classrooms. The increase in available checkout
inventory will directly benefit teachers in enhancing their STEM curricula and will also
indirectly contribute to elevating the overall quality of STEM education, aligning with the
broader objective of preparing students for future careers in science, technology, engineering,
and mathematics. With the CTN grant award for STEMco Oakland Schools aims to achieve a 10% increase in checkouts, with the primary goal of fostering a significant impact on student career readiness.