Companies are consistently looking for fresh talent in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math.

A central Indiana organization is reaching out to encourage young people to consider a STEM career.

The Central Indiana Corporate Partnership is comprised of 65 CEOs of some of Indiana's largest corporations, and a few presidents of the state's major universities.

Partnership CEO Melina Kennedy said for its new See Yourself In campaign, one objective is to educate youth on the possibilities.

"A lot of young people, especially our Gen Z'ers, don't really know 'what does that mean' in advanced industries - like sciences, agbiosciences, tech," said Kennedy. "Even that might be too broad. So, this campaign tries to go a layer deeper, to share with Gen Z'ers the different kinds of jobs and opportunities that there are in these advanced industries."

The campaign highlights life science careers in pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing, and medical research and testing within health information technology.

The Partnership's youth summit, with the Indiana Department of Education, will be in November. The first one was held last year, and more than 200 students statewide attended.

Other career-focused options include a three-year apprenticeship for participants to earn college credits, gain experience, and build their professional network.

Kennedy said See Yourself In is a great introduction for students to connect directly with industry professionals with a strong Indiana presence, whose companies help drive the state's economy.

"That's a starting point for a lot of information, both about real profiles of real people, and the kind of work they're doing," said Kennedy. "So, people can think about these industries, but also connections to tools and other job openings, trainings, profiles - things like that, that can be helpful."

Last month, the Indiana Department of Education announced the certification of 20 more schools as leaders in STEM education, bringing the total to more than 100.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.




get more stories like this via email

As winter sets in, advocates are spotlighting the need for after-school programs to provide Indiana youth with safe spaces to build skills, stay engaged, and foster positive relationships.

Research shows participation in organized activities improves mental and physical health.

Tami Silverman - president and CEO of the Indiana Youth Institute - said the settings foster belonging, confidence, and resilience, reducing feelings of isolation, and promoting positive peer relationships.

"We know that social isolation is on the rise - and so, we're looking at that social isolation going up," said Silverman, "and also, the need for kids to belong. And say, 'What can we do about it? How do we counterbalance that?'"

Silverman said these activities can create safe spaces for youth to set goals, face challenges, and grow.

She added that they provide critical networks of supportive adults, especially for those lacking consistent guidance at home or school.

Silverman said physical activity through team sports improves fitness and lowers risks of obesity and related health issues.

Structured programs also help kids manage stress, avoid risky behaviors, and build a foundation for lifelong success.

Research links extracurricular participation to higher grades, better attendance, and greater college enrollment rates.

"Research, particularly from Child Trends, that talks about those activities build skills such as teamwork, communication, conflict resolution," said Silverman. "I mean, you can see how those skills could go right back into the classroom."

Advocates say addressing barriers like cost, transportation, and availability is essential to ensuring all children can participate.

They say more resources for youth programs can help Indiana create more inclusive and supportive environments.




get more stories like this via email

Incarcerated young people in Washington state can spend a longer time in detention if they do not have a place to go upon release.

Some of the reasons for longer stays for people under the age of 18 include youth who are experiencing homelessness or are in between homeless shelters.

Sara Zier, director of legal services for TeamChild, a Washington state based advocacy group for youth involved with the juvenile justice system, said overstaying in detention is devastating for the youth who experience it.

"They're facing layers of challenges," Zier pointed out. "Not only do they not have a safe place to sleep or to go home to or a family and supportive adults to meet their needs, but then they're held in detention where they're isolated and they don't have a chance of those things either."

Zier noted many barriers exist to ensuring young people have a place to go when they're released. She explained people do not have a right to determine where they reside until they're 18 years old. A U.S. Supreme Court decision earlier this year allows cities to pass laws punishing people experiencing homelessness, which could exacerbate the situation for young people in Washington.

Degale Cooper, CEO of YouthCare, an organization working to end youth homelessness in King County, said Black, Indigenous and people of color disproportionately experience homelessness in the county. Cooper acknowledged the city of Seattle and the state have policies in place to end youth homelessness, but funding remains an issue.

"Young people are homeless all over our state," Cooper emphasized. "If we don't have the financial resources to support organizations that can house these young people for either short periods of time or long periods of time, then the policy can't work."

State lawmakers passed a measure that went into effect in 2021 stating, "Any unaccompanied youth discharged from a publicly funded system of care will be discharged into safe and stable housing." However, the state has yet to achieve it. Zier stressed it is important to solve the issue of unaccompanied youth held in detention even though population-wise, it is a small number of people.

"From an equity perspective it's really important that our state stick to commitments we've made to house young people," Zier contended. "And also to give young people who are detained for offenses opportunities to engage in treatment, instead of being held in detention where their needs aren't met."

TeamChild offered some recommendations for addressing the issue of youth who are stuck in detention. It said the state should allow faster access to court for young people in detention and adjust the legal emancipation and minor guardianships to better serve people under age 18.

Young people in Pueblo can now avoid serious and long-lasting consequences when they are unable to pay fines or fees.

Chanell Hasty, program manager with the National League of Cities - which created the Cities Addressing Fines and Fees, or CAFFE program - said when young people cannot pay a fee, it goes into collections. That can make it much harder for them to become financially independent, contributing members of the community.

"Jobs today, they require that you have decent credit scores to get a job, so they may not be able to get a job. They may not be able to get housing because of a damaged credit score," she said. "It's just a negative economic spiral for this young person."

Unpaid fines and fees can quickly snowball, leading to increased fines, driver's license suspensions or even jail time. Through CAFFE, people can sign up for Pueblo's Financial Empowerment Center, get one-on-one financial literacy tutoring, get their court fines or fees reduced, and pay them off through community service. Pueblo is one of 14 cities selected to participate in the program, which is also open to adults.

A similar program run by the San Francisco Financial Justice Project, called AFTER, helps juvenile crime victims secure restitution costs. Struggling families are often left on the hook for these costs, which can push the entire family deeper into poverty. Without this program, Hasty said victims who have real medical bills to pay may never get the money they need.

"So a program like this allows for the victim to actually get financial restitution to pay whatever bills that result from the crime," she continued.

Researchers found that crime survivors generally receive little, if any, restitution.

One year after restitution was ordered, only 2% was paid, and more than 90% remained unpaid after five years. Municipal fines and fees also disproportionately burden low-income residents, especially residents of color.


get more stories like this via email