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Inaugural Kentucky Rural-Urban STEM Champions Summit

January 24, 2025

Living Arts and Science Center

Lexington, KY

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KY Rural-Urban STEM Champions Summit:

Background, Planning, Results, and Significance

The KY Rural-Urban STEM Champions Summit was founded with the goal of bridging the gap between STEM educators, industry professionals, and advocates across both rural and urban communities in Kentucky. Recognizing the need for collaboration, shared resources, and sustainable engagement, our planning team set out to create a space where STEM providers could connect, exchange best practices, and build a peer-driven support network.

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The idea for this summit emerged from a core group of women STEM leaders who discovered that some of Kentucky’s premier STEM experiential learning centers were not connected to one another. These women initially came together with a simple but powerful idea: to visit each other’s facilities and learn from one another’s approaches. What started as a few informal learning visits quickly revealed a larger need for a structured, statewide effort to bridge the gaps between rural and urban STEM initiatives. This realization fueled the vision for a formal summit, bringing together stakeholders from across Kentucky to foster greater collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and long-term partnerships.

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Kentucky’s STEM ecosystem is diverse, with institutions, organizations, and educators working toward common goals—but often in isolated efforts. Rural educators may lack access to industry partnerships, while urban programs may struggle with outreach beyond their immediate networks. By bringing together STEM champions from across these landscapes, we aimed to create a statewide movement that fosters inclusivity, innovation, and long-term collaboration.

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Planning Process

The development of the STEM Summit was a collaborative and strategic effort guided by a dedicated planning committee. Our process included:

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    • Identifying Key Stakeholders:
      • Engaged STEM educators, industry leaders, nonprofits, and policymakers.
      • Gathered input from rural and urban STEM providers to shape the event’s structure.
    • Establishing Core Objectives:
      • Facilitate networking and relationship-building between diverse STEM professionals.
      • Showcase innovative practices and resources available to STEM providers.
      • Identify opportunities for collaboration and long-term impact.
      • Develop a peer network to sustain engagement beyond the event.
    • Event Structure & Speaker Selection:
      • Designed keynote sessions, and a panel discussion.
      • Recruited dynamic speakers representing education, industry, and community organizations.
    • Outreach & Participation:
      • Leveraged existing STEM networks and organizations to maximize attendance.
      • Utilized digital marketing, direct outreach, and community partnerships to reach rural and urban stakeholders.
    • Logistics & Execution:
      • Secured venue, funding, and technical support for a seamless experience.
      • Developed a feedback mechanism to capture attendee insights.

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We created a logo and virtual flyers!

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Our incredible presenters!

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The Day of Our Event

We were thrilled to have 45 attendees in total throughout the day! Here are some photos of our presentations.

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Thank You

Submitted by:

Deborah Slone

Sandi Curd