Texas governor touts $160 million for STEM

After Wednesday’s announcement at The Mathworks that Massachusetts officials would establish a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education advisory council, I suggested that the Massachusetts initiative could spur on competition with other states. With timing too good to be true, on Thursday Texas Governor Rick Perry announced a $160 million initiative to expand the number and scope of Texas STEM (T-STEM) academies.The governor made the announcement at Berkner High School, one of 46 T-STEM academies. He intends to double that number, to 92.

“Accelerating the pace of our high-tech education is essential to maintaining a globally competitive workforce,” Govnor Perry said, as reported in a press release on the State of Texas Website. “This will continue to provide Texas students the opportunity to pursue the education they need as they fulfill their potential and keep Texas moving into the future.”

The press release also says that Governor Perry is also proposing a $100 million T-STEM Challenge Scholarship for students at universities, community colleges, and technical colleges pursuing degrees and certifications in the STEM as well as medical fields.

Hat-tip to Lourdes Rios Salazar at National Instruments for sending me the link to the Texas STEM news. Interestingly, I didn’t see any mention of it in the Austin American Statesman. Neither did I see a mention of the Massachusetts initiative in the Boston Globe or Boston Herald. The MetroWest Daily News, which serves The Mathworks hometown of Natick, did cover the Massachusetts story.

If you come across news of STEM initiatives in your state, send me a link.

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