Press Releases
06/02/2022
LT. GOVERNOR SUSAN BYSIEWICZ ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF NEW CT.GOV STEAM PORTAL
(EAST HARTFORD) – Yesterday, Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz announced the launch of the ct.gov STEAM portal, which was created to keep young women and girls engaged with science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics throughout their lives by connecting them with opportunities to nurture their interest whether it be through camps, classes, internships, and/or other online resources.
Created in 2019, the Governor’s Council on Women and Girls is led by the Lieutenant Governor and was tasked with providing a coordinated state response to issues that impact the lives of women, girls, their families, and the State of Connecticut.
“As chair of the Governor’s Council on Women and Girl’s, one of our main priorities is getting more students, particularly women and girls, involved in the STEAM fields,” said Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz. “This centralized portal will act as a one stop shop for all things STEAM throughout the state of Connecticut, providing information along with important resources that can help parents, teachers, students, and researchers. Accessibility creates opportunity, and I’m thrilled that our students will now have this portal to continue their exploration of their interests in STEAM.”
The STEAM Portal will act as a centralized hub to connect the many educational STEAM programs and activities currently being offered throughout the state. At its conception, subcommittee members envisioned a “one-stop shop” for parents, students, teachers and even employers looking for diverse programming to encourage and foster STEAM growth and interest in young women.
The STEAM Portal includes individual pages that explain and highlight “what is STEAM?” sourced content that analyzes the ways in which the “STEAM Gap” can occur, female pioneers in STEAM fields, lists of camps and other resources students can access, lists of scholarships, lists of DIY resources, and an interactive map of Connecticut that shows where STEAM-related programs are located.
“The idea behind this resource was to start small and let it grow,” said Office of Higher Education Executive Director Larson. “We anticipate that as the word gets out, that we’ll be adding spokes to the wheel so to speak – adding valuable programming that increases access and interest in young women so that they choose to enter in these high-demand fields later on.”
The new portal was one of four initiatives developed by the Governor’s Council on Women and Girls Education and STEAM Subcommittee to increase public awareness of STEAM opportunities for females. Other initiatives sponsored by the subcommittee include the Lt. Governor’s Computing Challenge, an Internship Toolkit in addition to events designed to increase knowledge and interest in careers in the Arts.
"Throughout my teaching career I've had countless students with a genuine interest in science, technology engineering, arts, and math. One of the major challenges I face every year is trying to find the right opportunities for them to pursue those passions outside of the classroom,” said Amanda Cooper, Science Teacher at Sunset Ridge Middle School. “I am thrilled about the launch of this STEAM portal because it will allow me to spend less time researching, and more time connecting students and families to the resources and opportunities that will make a lifelong impact."
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For Immediate Release: Thursday, June 2, 2022
Contact: Chelsea Neelon
Chelsea Neelon
Director of Communications
Office of Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz
210 Capitol Avenue, Room 304 | Hartford, CT 06106
Phone: 860-818-9589