Grant will help introduce local students to jobs in STEM fields

A $150,000 grant will help Spokane-area students learn about jobs requiring skills in science, technology, engineering and math.

The two-year grant was awarded to the Spokane STEM Network by a statewide organization, Washington STEM, which received money from JP Chase Morgan.

Within five years, Washington will have about 740,000 job openings in STEM-related fields, said Meg Lindsay, Spokane STEM’s executive director.

The grant targets seventh- through 12th-graders. “It exposes them to professionals who are in high-demand careers that require STEM skills,” Lindsay said.

The grant money will be used to upgrade a digital platform that connects teachers and business professionals and help pay for program staffing. In the future, the platform also will assist a complimentary workforce program aimed at getting teens and young adults who aren’t in school into internships and apprenticeships, Lindsay said.