Tracy Bame, head of the Freeport McMoRan Foundation told the 60 of us gathered for the Arizona STEM Network meeting last week, that the biggest challenge the Phoenix-based company faces is not regulations, but finding enough technically qualified employees. The Arizona STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Network met with leaders of successful STEM programs from other states (NY, WA, NC, OH, & TX) who described their "best practices" and shared the results of their successes. The idea is to learn from them before we launch our own statewide effort. The AZ STEM Network is headquartered in Science Foundation Arizona with substantial business and industry support.
The program team will be traveling around the state in March to meet with local education and business leaders.