$2M in funding available for STEM education, career exposure

MEDC and MiSTEM partner for second round of strategic investments in statewide STEM strategy

LANSING, Mich. – Today, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity’s (LEO) MiSTEM Network launched the latest round of funding in their partnership to support preK-8 STEM education.

Approximately $2 million of strategic investments will expand hands-on learning, introduce young students to high-demand industries, and create more opportunities for career exploration in STEM fields, ensuring Michigan’s future workforce is prepared for success.

"Investing in STEM education is an investment in Michigan’s future—preparing our students with the skills they need to succeed in high-demand careers while strengthening our economy,” said Susan Corbin, Director of LEO. “Through strong partnerships and collaboration, we’re ensuring that everyone, regardless of their background, has access to the opportunities outlined in our Statewide Workforce Plan. Together, we’re building a more innovative, inclusive, and prosperous Michigan for all." 

Through the partnership, MEDC is committing to implementing the MiSTEM statewide 3P (place-, project-, problem-based) STEM strategy. Similar to the first, this second round of strategic investment serves as an exemplar model for the efforts to align the state’s strategic industries and supporting employer engagement, with MiSTEM's statewide strategy, which emphasizes authentic and experiential learning experiences.

“This $2 million in available grant funding presents a win-win-win scenario for Michiganders. It’s a win for students and their teachers to gain real-world education applications and promote hands-on STEM knowledge at an early, impressionable age. It’s a win for our state’s innovative companies to develop talent pipelines that are fundamental to success. And, ultimately, it’s a win for Michigan by highlighting our state’s STEM career opportunities, strengthening the skills and competitiveness of our already top-tier workforce and our cutting-edge school systems,” said MEDC Director of Strategic Talent Initiatives Spencer Lucker.

“We are already seeing exciting connections and programming come from the matchmaking we’ve done in the first round between our strategic employers and preK-12 school educators, and we welcome the opportunity to expand this work to new partners,” Lucker said.

Grants of up to $500,000 per grantee will be awarded for programming between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2027. Eligible applicants must be an intermediate school district (ISD), a local education agency (LEA), a public-school academy (PSA), or a 501(c)3 community-based organization serving an ISD(s), LEA(s), or PSA(s).

The grants are funded through support from MEDC. It is anticipated that approximately $2 million will be available to fund eligible applications. Applicants must be able to partner directly with at least one of the MEDC Talent Action Team core employers and their local MiSTEM region. 

In 2022, the MEDC launched the Talent Action Team to grow Michigan’s talent pipeline to make Michigan the top choice for businesses by promoting key industries as a great place to work, deepening diverse pools of talent and ensuring availability of tailored, flexible education programs. These strategic investments are one of the talent solutions that MEDC offers to achieve those goals.

MEDC will continue to leverage MiSTEM’s statewide 3P STEM strategy, regional network and programming to connect employers to engagement opportunities with preK-12 students and educators. 

Eligible applicants should respond to the Request for Proposals by 3 p.m. on Thursday, May 1. Ahead of the application deadline, MEDC and MiSTEM will host a technical assistance webinar on Thursday, March 27 at 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. to help applicants navigate the EGrAMs site. Information on how to join the webinar is available on EGrAMs. Questions regarding the grant application must be sent via email to LEO-MiSTEM@michigan.gov by Tuesday, April 1 at 4 p.m.

“Investments in STEM education are critical to giving more students access to the experience and skills they need to thrive in the high-tech careers of the future,” said Megan Schrauben, MiSTEM Network executive director. “We are excited to partner with MEDC once again to bring more employer engagement to Michigan classrooms.”

To review full RFP and apply, visit the LEO EGrAMS site. More information about this and other 3-P STEM Education Grant funding made available for eligible Michigan schools is available at Michigan.gov/MiSTEM.

For more information on the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and their initiatives, visit MichiganBusiness.org.