The Center for Research on Educational Equity, Assessment, and Teaching Excellence (CREATE) is joining with a host of campus colleagues and community supporters to launch the CREATE STEM Success Initiative effective July 1, 2013. CREATE STEM Success is a visionary and collectively designed initiative linking faculty, staff and students across multiple campus divisions, outreach activities, and the local education community in shared effort to support K-20 STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education in the San Diego region.

The goal of the CREATE STEM Success Initiative is to marshal UC San Diego’s STEM expertise and resources alongside San Diego’s, to act collectively and systematically to improve the STEM education pipeline in our region. Working closely with campus colleagues, CREATE will support UC San Diego PIs, staff and students to co-design STEM-related outreach and interventions; help PIs shape broader impact plans and STEM pipeline research grants/evaluations; and help colleagues match-make and link UC San Diego outreach to the work of K-16 colleagues and institutions in San Diego, toward more sustained, collective efforts to serve high-need schools, educators, students and programs.

As we continually seek ways to have a tangible societal impact through our research, education, and service activities, the campus must invest strategically in efforts designed to further that goal. This Initiative represents one of these investments and is intended to augment, not replace, other research support and outreach/service activities across the campus. For the faculty, we anticipate that this hub will provide a beneficial nexus between K-12 outreach, research objectives, and a growing requirement to demonstrate impact to a variety of funders; for students, there is an opportunity to extend curricular and co-curricular offerings by engaging in meaningful experiential learning; and for community partners, the Initiative will provide a network of knowledgeable colleagues.

We appreciate that CREATE is willing to undertake this role. Please approach the Center at any time to discuss your work, offer your input and get involved in this collective effort. Overall input and questions should be directed to Mica Pollock, CREATE Director and Professor of Education Studies, at micapollock@ucsd.edu.

Pradeep K. Khosla Chancellor Suresh Subramani Executive Vice Chancellor