Educators and industry professionals from STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and math) are invited to attend the Kansas STEM Call-to-Action Forum Tuesday-Wednesday, June 2-3, at the National Center for Aviation and Training, 4004 N. Webb Road.

The conference is intended to serve as a catalyst for conversation and collaboration among all those with a stake in preparing youth for jobs in the STEM workforce.

John Tomblin, vice president of Research and Technology Transfer at Wichita State University and executive director of the National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR), will be the keynote speaker. Gov. Sam Brownback is tentatively scheduled to attend.

“Preparing children with the necessary skills to thrive once they enter the workforce depends on effective collaboration between educators and industry, yet teachers and STEM professionals rarely get a chance to talk to each other,” said Polly Basore, a conference organizer and K-12 officer for the WSU College of Engineering. “This conference attempts to address that through a series of conversations between teachers, employers and others whose cooperation is critical.”

The conference is one of a series sponsored by the National Defense Industrial Association and the Aerospace Industries Association held in states across the nation. In Kansas, a coalition of more than 30 partners including Textron Aviation, the College of Engineering, NIAR and STEMpact2020 helped plan the two-day event.

Discounted registration is available through Friday, May 22, at the following rates: $25 for K-12 teachers; $50 for government and academia representatives; and $100 for STEM industry professionals. A full conference schedule, list of speakers and topics, and registration information are available at stempact2020.org/calltoaction.