March 16, 2022

Dear County and District Superintendents, Charter School Administrators, High School Principals, and High School Counselors:

California STEAM Symposium Call for Proposals

The California Department of Education (CDE) is excited to announce that the 10th annual California Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) Symposium will take place October 1–2, 2022, in Anaheim. Co-hosted by the Californians Dedicated to Education Foundation and the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, the Symposium brings together passionate people seeking inspiration and energizing engagements for the opportunity to collaborate with STEAM education experts to expand STEAM learning opportunities for everyone in California and beyond.

The theme for this year's symposium is “Advance Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in STEAM: Access, Awareness, Opportunities, and Outcomes.” Throughout the event, educators and STEAM enthusiasts will come together to explore high-quality strategies to cultivate systems that promote lifelong learning for everyone through inclusive and targeted practices, high-impact techniques, and policies through the lens of a classroom or organization.

These approaches promote a sense of belonging and ignite student passion for learning as well as supporting the social-emotional development of our education community. Students are the focus of the Symposium, and they will be found leading breakout sessions and demonstrating their projects in the always-popular student showcase.

Please urge your educators to submit a presentation proposal prior to the March 25, 2022 deadline by going to the CDE Foundation STEAM Symposium web page at https://cdefoundation.org/cde_programs/steam/. Peer-led professional development is at the heart of this event. All accepted presenters will receive $100 compensation.

A STEAM education is an incredibly important priority of mine. Learning computer science gives our students access to jobs, passions, and power they would not otherwise have. These job skills and technical knowledge are the foundation for our future, and our students—our future CEOs and elected officials—need a well-rounded education to deal with a changing world while moving forward in developing future technologies and industry.

Sincerely,

Tony Thurmond
State Superintendent of Public Instruction