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Center for Minority Achievement in Science and Technology
Center for Minority Achievement in Science and Technology
ABOUT US
Did You Know?
› While 53% of international graduate students studied either engineering or sciences in 2006, only 16% of U.S. students did.
Graduate Enrollment and Degress, 1996-2006 (Council of Graduate Schools). 
› In the U.S. workforce women hold more than half of professional positions overall, but fewer than 22% of software engineering positions.
National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) 
› Girls comprise just 10% of all Advance Placement (AP) computer science AB exam-takers.
National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) 
› The mean GPA for African American engineering graduates was 2.5, for Hispanic engineering graduates 2.39, and for non-minority engineering graduates 2.67.
Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), 1990. 
› By 2010, the American population will be one-third “minority” (Hispanic/Latino, African American, Native American, Asian).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2000. 
› The shortage of highly qualified math and science teachers in the United States is projected to reach 283,000 by 2015.
National Center for Education Statistics, 2005. 
› 3 out of 10 first-year college students in the United States are placed into a remedial course.
National Center for Education Statistics, 2000. 
› The federal government spent approximately $2.8 billion in fiscal year 2004 to fund over 200 programs designed to increase the number of students in STEM fields and employees in STEM occupations and to improve related educational programs.
2006 GAO Report on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Trends and the Role of Federal Programs 
› Women represent just 9.5% of the nearly 1.5 million bacherlor's-degreed engineers employed in the United States.
2008 Confronting the New American Dilemma: A Data-Based Look at Diversity (CPST) 
› American students ranked lower in science than their peers in 16 other industrialized nations, out of 30 countries in that category.
2006 Program for International Student Assessment 
› 70% of registered voters – approx 91 million people- believe the U.S. public education system needs to be completely replaced or changed in a significant way.
Public Agenda Survey 
› High school freshmen in public school graduating in four years, 2004-05: 74.7 percent
National Center for Education Statistics 

Our Work
In the new global economy, America needs a workforce with the knowledge and skills to compete. A new workforce of problem solvers, innovators, and inventors who are self-reliant and able to think logically is one of the crucial foundations that drive innovation capacity in the nation. A key to developing these skills is strengthening science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) competencies in every student and worker.

Above all, there needs to be a concerted effort to capitalize on the talent in the growing minority population here in the U.S. To do so requires providing better education to all children, so that most of them are prepared to a STEM degree program should they choose to do so. Bearing in mind that they should not only be prepared to enter but successfully complete the program and join the workforce thoroughly equipped to compete as innovators and leaders.

CMAST will bring together stakeholders from education, business, government, and community to address the issues that affect minority participation in STEM disciplines and develop an overarching plan for implementing strategies necessary to meet the challenges of preparing minorities for the workforce demands of the 21st century.

In order to achieve these goals, CMAST will:
  • Identify and assist in expanding educational opportunities that will significantly increase minority enrollment, retention, and graduation rates leading to increased employment, placement, and career advancement for minorities in the STEM workforce.

  • Develop targeted campaigns that create awareness of opportunities in science and technology.

  • Promote collaboration between education, business, government, and community organizations to create an organized network of resources, mentors, and funding crucial to creating and maintaining effective STEM education and outreach initiatives.

  • Serve as a clearinghouse for STEM programs, information, and resources dedicated to building a stronger, more diverse U.S. workforce in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.