Called The Connectory Exchange, it provides STEM partners an avenue to be more effective and more efficient in providing access to STEM learning opportunities.  The NC STEM Center is piloting the Exchange to establish collaboration around a central database, with strong local commitment and support that will meet the needs of the STEM field.

“North Carolina was primed to be the pilot program since the NC STEM Center was created several years ago,” said Alfred Mays, program officer at the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.  “The Connectory Exchange allows us to tap into a national database of opportunities while providing the best resource for identifying and sharing STEM programs in North Carolina.”

Launched in 2012, the NC STEM Center is the one-stop shop for STEM in North Carolina.

Featuring articles and resources and a calendar of activities, the NC STEM Center seeks to articulate the importance of STEM in North Carolina.  It was also created with program providers in mind, providing the means for discovering new partners as well as ways to showcase the STEM opportunities that providers are offering for youth.

The NC STEM Center is a project of the NC STEM Learning Network, a statewide effort through the N.C. Science, Mathematics & Technology Education (SMT) Center in collaboration with N.C. Department of Public Instruction, N.C. Community College System and the UNC General Administration with funding from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.

The Connectory Exchange is a new partnership model to create customized directories of STEM learning opportunities powered by The Connectory, the largest database of STEM programs in the U.S. The Connectory includes a range of opportunities and programs for K-12 students, which can be searched via a variety of filters, including zip code, cost, topic, age range and date. The National Girls Collaborative (NGC) manages the Connectory. Time Warner Cable is the founding partner of The Connectory.