Introducing the new OSLN Dayton hub
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The Ohio STEM Learning Network (OSLN) is excited to welcome DO STEM as the new OSLN regional hub serving the greater Dayton region. As Dayton’s nationally recognized STEM Ecosystem, DO STEM brings together education, industry, government, military, higher education, and community organizations around a shared mission: fostering collaboration to enhance STEM across the region.
At the heart of DO STEM’s work is a simple belief: no single organization can prepare students for the future alone. By connecting schools with community resources, educators with professional learning opportunities, and students with authentic experiences, DO STEM serves as both a connector and a catalyst for STEM education throughout the Miami Valley.
A passion for transforming student futures
For DO STEM and Hub Director Jessica Short, STEM education is about much more than science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. It’s about creating opportunities that can change the trajectory of a student’s life.
“When students experience high-quality STEM learning, they’re not just learning content,” says Short. “They’re learning how to think critically, solve meaningful problems, collaborate with others, and build the confidence to tackle challenges they never thought possible. Those are skills that prepare students not just for school, but for life.”
This work is fueled by the belief that when students can see themselves in STEM, they begin to see new possibilities for their futures. Through partnerships across the region, DO STEM helps create authentic learning experiences that connect classroom learning to real-world challenges, careers, and opportunities.
“What gives me hope is that Ohio continues to embrace STEM not as another initiative, but as a way of transforming teaching and learning,” Short shares. “Educators across the state are reimagining what classrooms can look like, and communities are coming together to support that work.”
Connecting a region rich in opportunity
The Dayton region is home to countless STEM assets, including Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, world-class aerospace and defense organizations, healthcare leaders, advanced manufacturing companies, higher education institutions, and innovative community partners.
DO STEM’s unique strength is its ability to bring these organizations together around a shared vision.
“Rather than creating new programs to compete with existing efforts, we focus on aligning and amplifying what’s already happening across the region,” explains Short. “By connecting people, ideas, and resources, we can create greater impact than any one organization could achieve independently.”
Over the years, DO STEM has helped support educator professional development, career exploration opportunities, student leadership experiences, and workforce-connected learning initiatives. Increasingly, the organization is focused on helping students connect their interests and strengths with regional career opportunities, creating intentional pathways that help young people envision their future long before graduation.
Why OSLN?
For DO STEM, becoming an OSLN regional hub felt like a natural next step.
“Meaningful change happens through collaboration, and the Ohio STEM Learning Network embodies that same philosophy,” says Short. “Battelle has built something truly special by bringing together educators, schools, industry, and community partners from across Ohio to learn from one another and elevate STEM education statewide.”
As an OSLN Hub, DO STEM looks forward to sharing successful practices from the Dayton region while learning from fellow hubs across the state. The partnership will help strengthen local schools, expand professional learning opportunities, and deepen connections between education and industry.
Looking ahead
The vision for the Dayton hub is ambitious and community-centered. DO STEM hopes to strengthen the connections between classrooms and the incredible STEM opportunities that already exist throughout the region.
Over the next several years, the organization aims to serve as a central connection point where educators can access high-quality professional learning, find industry partners, discover resources, and connect with a network of innovative peers. For students, that means expanded access to meaningful, hands-on learning experiences that inspire exploration and help them see themselves in future STEM careers.
Success, according to DO STEM, won’t be measured by the hub alone. It will be reflected in the success of the region.
“We don’t view our success in a vacuum,” says Short. “If our region is thriving, growing, and creating opportunities for students, then we’re succeeding too.”
Ultimately, the Dayton hub seeks to help schools build sustainable STEM cultures, strengthen partnerships across sectors, and ensure every learner has access to engaging, real-world experiences that prepare them for the future.
A message to schools
For schools just beginning their STEM journey, DO STEM offers a simple reminder: you don’t have to do it alone.
Through the OSLN Dayton hub, schools can tap into a powerful network of educators, industry partners, military organizations, higher education institutions, and community resources. Whether a district is exploring STEM for the first time or expanding an established program, the Hub is ready to provide connections, guidance, and support.
As DO STEM likes to say, STEM is about creating “Strategies That Engage Minds.” When students are empowered to explore, create, ask questions, and solve authentic problems, they develop both technical knowledge and the durable skills needed to thrive in any future they choose.
Strong STEM education helps students create endless possibilities to inspire, explore, and experience STEM.
To learn more about the Dayton hub and DO STEM, visit www.do-stem.org and connect with their LinkedIn page.
The post Introducing the new OSLN Dayton hub appeared first on Ohio STEM Learning Network.
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