NAPE and five high schools in the Elgin, Illinois, School District U-46 are working together to increase access and success of girls in STEM-related programs of study. Each of the high schools has formed a STEM Equity Pipeline team consisting of math, science, and career and technical education teachers; counselors; and administrators to implement the Program Improvement Process for Equity©. After completing a performance gap analysis and conducting action research to identify root causes, the teams are implementing strategies to close the gaps they have identified. As a direct result of this work, U-46 staff have joined together to create a districtwide STEM education initiative; "Moving Forward with STEM - Adelante con STEM. This innovative, cross disciplinary initiative seeks to "Connect, Create and Innovate" students, staff and community partners to breakdown cultural and educational silos and breed a new generation of STEM literate students.
