September 10th 

In-Service Day Event • Registration Now Open

STEM Equity in ACTION Day

Free! Exclusive Educator Tours of Delaware Businesses

Delaware Educators! This FREE event offers exclusive access to leading STEM companies across Kent, New Castle and Sussex counties, empowering you to bring real-world STEM Equity applications back to your classroom. Witness cutting-edge technologies and innovative practices in diverse STEM fields. Network with industry professionals, gain insights into current industry trends, and discover how these advancements can inspire and enhance your teaching.

You have the opportunity to explore TWO top-tier STEM business facilities.

The day is structured into a three-hour Morning Session (8:30-11:30) and a

three-hour Afternoon Session 12:30-3:30), ensuring an in-depth look at each location.

Teachers will earn 3 clock hours per session. 

Complementary light breakfast and boxed lunches will be provided.

Teachers can register through PDMS Course #42684, STEM Equity in Action Day.

Register for one Morning Session and one Afternoon Session.

You’ll have one hour to get from your morning session to your afternoon session.

Transportation is on your own. There is no transportation reimbursement.

You will need to follow the safety guidelines of each business you will be visiting.



More information will be forthcoming closer to the date.

Explore STEM Career Options in Delaware with DFSME Resources

STEM Careers within Delaware Companies

If your students enjoy science, technology, engineering or mathematics, you can help guide them in considering a career in STEM. These fields have numerous career options, including lucrative opportunities in medicine, research, robotics, biochemistry, aeronautics, engineering, science and other in-demand disciplines.

Over the past three years, DFSME has collaborated with companies in Delaware to compile a library of professional STEM Career Profiles. We offer these one-page resources to educators to share with their students. Search STEM companies such as Air Liquide, Agilent, Ashland, Bloom Energy, ChristianaCare, Croda, DuPont, Mountaire, Walmart and more.

Highlighted in each STEM Career Profile is the career overview, job outlook,

expected salary range, education required,

and suggested middle and high school courses to get a jump start.

To explore and download Delaware company descriptions and their STEM Career opportunities for your students, click here.

DFSME advocates to provide a quality science and math education for EVERY student and STEM educator in Delaware with the goal of strengthening our Delaware-based workforce.

40 Careers in STEM

Plus Average Salary

and Job Duties

Indeed, April 2024

Reviewing the details of today’s STEM careers can help you determine which careers best align with you and your students’ skill sets and interests. 

To check out 40 different careers in STEM, including their national average salaries and their primary job duties, click here. 

Did you know that STEM is everywhere in our daily lives? And it’s everywhere at the DE State Fair too!

“STEM Is Everywhere at the STATE FAIR!”

STEM Contest! Cash Prizes!

DFSME invites students K-12 to get involved in this STEM activity during State Fair days

in Harrington on July 18-27. You can even participate from home.

Take a Photo • Write a Short Essay • Get Published

Write a short essay, or take a photo, or send a picture of your

poster, illustration or creation, and let us know how it relates to STEM at the State Fair.

It can include anything related to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math,

including agriculture, oceans, robotics, computers, electronics, just about anything.

The sky is the limit!

$250 First Place / $100 Second Place / $50 Third Place

Winning Submissions will be published in our August 2024 issue of DFSME News.

Email your submission to dkidd@dtcc.edu with the subject line “State Fair STEM”

no later than August 1, 2024.

Harry Brake (center) accepts the Shining Light Award from Randy Guschl, DFSME Executive Director. Also in attendance at Chapel Branch Nature Center were students from the Upward Bound Program. To the right of Harry is Dr. Steve Schwartz, Seaford School District Assistant Superintendent (retired). Photo courtesy Rebecca Jones.

DFSME’s July “Shining Light Award” Honors Harry Brake, Librarian/Media Specialist and Environmentalist

Harry came back to Delaware in 2017 after several years of work with the American School Foundation in Mexico City. Among an assortment of educational experiences, he has degrees from Florida State University, Slippery Rock University, and Mansfield University. Since 2017, he has served as librarian/media specialist and cross country coach for Woodbridge High School. Harry has also been active with the Nanticoke River Conservancy among a wide variety of ecological/environmental causes in Sussex County. He couples his personal causes with mentoring students and teaching them about the need to preserve our natural resources.

Harry’s passion for nature and cross country has connected him to the Vince Morris Trail in the Chapel Branch Nature Area. He serves on the Board of The Nanticoke River Conservancy which maintains this area along with multiple other Sussex County protected areas. For the past few years, Harry has worked as a pre-college Science/Math Trio Instructor with Upward Bound through Delaware Tech and, in that role, he works with dozens of teenagers in clean up, planting, beach grass maintenance, testing and ultimately understanding the environment.

Harry’s honors include the Greenwood VFW National Citizenship Education Teacher Recognition Award 2020. He is Past President, Delaware Association of School Librarians, and current appointee to the Delaware Humanities Board. Additionally, he works to provide computers and learning materials to children in Africa and Cuba, does animal rescue work and conducts a wide variety of efforts with students to spur positive effects both locally and across the world.



We are pleased to recognize Harry Brake as a superlative educator!

Harry Brake was nominated by Dr. Stephen Schwartz,

Seaford School District Assistant Superintendent (retired) and DFSME Board Member

Nominate Your Favorite Educator to be a Shining Light!

Anyone may nominate a STEM formal, informal or community Educator for the Shining Light Award. Honorees receive an award, a $100 gift card and a mini heavy-duty mag flashlight.

For more details, go to dfsme.org/shining-light-award

Email completed form to drses48@aol.com or Michelle.Kutch@bsd.k12.de.us.

Free Report by STEMconnector

The Stunning Potential

to Create Equity

Much has been written about the promise of a STEM degree over the past decade. With as many as 2.4 million STEM jobs expected to go unfilled by 2025 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and knowing that the average STEM worker earns 2/3 more than non-STEM workers, the push for more students to pursue degrees in these fields is not surprising.

Despite years of efforts to increase interest in STEM learning, we’re not moving the needle on filling overall STEM vacancies, costing companies billions of dollars per year in recruitment and turnover and leaving them without the talent they need to remain competitive and innovative in a constantly evolving market.

The gaps are particularly stark for individuals from underrepresented backgrounds and traditionally overlooked communities, where barriers to opportunity often keep them out of the STEM talent pipeline early on. To meet the demands of the current and future workforce, eliminating barriers to entry for future workforce participants from traditionally overlooked communities and underrepresented backgrounds is critical.

July's Outstanding Delaware Women in STEM Honoree

Dr. Thianda Manzara noticed the disconnect between what students learned in school and where their food actually came from, so she designed and founded the Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids (HFHK) “Education Cultivation” program. HFHK’s mission is to inspire healthier lives by providing youth with joyful school gardening experiences. Thianda’s vision is a vegetable garden in every school, leading to generations of healthy families throughout Delaware.

Million Women Mentors is the premier network dedicated to encouraging girls and women around the world to pursue, persist and succeed in STEM careers. The Delaware STEM Council and DFSME are partners in the event along with MWM-DE and the Office of the Governor, State of Delaware.

 Summer is Here! Applications are Open for the

10th Delaware STEM Educator Awards!

Now is the time to get going on your application! The Delaware STEM Educator Awards recognize a teacher or team of teachers at the elementary, middle and high school levels of both traditional public & private schools and community programming that demonstrate STEM innovation and excellence through teaching, academic collaboration, and student engagement.

Applicants for this award include science (all fields), mathematics (all fields), computer science, engineering, and CTE educators.

At least three Unrestricted Cash Awards of up to $7,500

will be given to first-place winning teachers or team of teachers.

For more information and 2024 application, click here.

To learn more about the 9th Award Winners, please read this article covering the

November 2023 Award Winners – Delaware STEM Council.

July 18-27

Delaware State Fair

During the annual 10-day Fair, get your favorite fair treat,

explore agricultural exhibits, watch livestock events, catch some great live music,

shop at the marketplace, and experience other festivities.

18500 S. Dupont Hwy, Harrington, DE 19952.

For information about fair times, events, exhibits and the Ice Arena, click here.

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July 23, July 30 and August 6 • 10am-11:30am

DNREC “Small Fry Adventures” at Aquatic Resources Education Center

DNREC encourages families with young children to enjoy exciting, free events.

Learn about fish and other aquatic critters that live in the tidal salt marsh. Kids will have a chance to view marine life in AREC’s aquariums, make a simple craft with an aquatic theme and participate in activities to learn about some of the aquatic life in Delaware.

Aquatic Resources Education Center, 2520 Lighthouse Road, Smyrna DE

Pre-registration is required.

For more information, call 302-735-8666 or click here.

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July 23-25 • 8:30am-3:30pm

DE New Normal Problem-Based Math Camp

This summer we will collaborate around our mutual goal of creating curious learners who love

grappling with problems, focus on strategies that promote math engagement and enhance

more thinking-centered math classrooms. For secondary and post-secondary math educators.

This year’s Math Camp will be hosted in Lewes, DE. For more info, click here.

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July 27 • 11am-3pm

Stargazing Saturday • Delaware Museum of Science & Nature

Discover the sky above us through the interactive inflatable Starlab as a $3 add-on component of your museum visit. Each month explore a different constellation or astronomical occurrence.

4840 Kennett Pike, Wilmington, DE 19807

For more information, click here.

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July 31-August 1

Two-Day Math Leadership Team Retreat

Join Delaware Mathematics Coalition leaders for a two-day workshop specifically designed

to help administrators and their math instructional leadership teams promote a more

assets-based and productive stance towards teach reflection, learning and growth

Virden Center, Lewes, DE.

For more info and to register, click here.

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October 22 • 9am

JA Job Shadow at Delmarva Power

Hosted by Junior Achievement

The JA Job Shadow at Delmarva Power focuses on exploring

and understanding careers at Delmarva Power.

Delmarva Power Conference Center

For registration, contact Denise.Christiansen@ja.org.

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Registration Open!  • September 10

STEM Equity in Action Day

Exclusive Educator Tours of Delaware Businesses

Teachers can choose to spend their Sept 10th professional learning in-service day

exploring in STEM businesses in Delaware.

See how real-world Equity applies in these STEM companies!

Choose TWO top-tier businesses for Morning & Afternoon Sessions.

Credit Hours will be given.

Sponsored by the DFSME, Delaware STEM Council and Delaware Department of Education.

To check out the Company Listing of businesses to choose from and

PDMS Registration info, click here.

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Save the Date! September 10, 2024

Delaware Math Equity Conference

A powerful day of professional learning dedicated to Equity in Math and STEM.

Opening Speaker will be Lacey Robinson, President and CEO of UnboundEd, the nation’s

largest K-12 educator development organization focused on improving teaching and learning

for underserved students, and chair of the Board of CORE Learning. Lacey is the author of

Justice Seekers: Pursuing Equity in the Details of Teaching and Learning, an inspiring message

to us all to recognize that "justice is found in the details of teaching and learning”.

Sponsored by the Delaware Mathematics Coalition & Delaware Department of Education.

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Save the Date! November 7

The 10th Annual Delaware STEM Educator Awards Ceremony

Live Zoom Videocast from Buena Vista Country Estate in New Castle, Delaware

Co-hosted by Delaware STEM Council and DFSME, the event announces winners at the

Elementary School (K-5), Middle School (6-8) and High School (9-12) levels,

the Community Educator Award, the Jon Manon STEAM Team Educator Award and more!

For more information, click here.

DFSME thanks the following organizations for contributions to STEM education in Delaware.

STEM Legacy

DuPont | LabWare

STEM Heritage

Ashland | Mountaire Farms | Verizon

STEM Sustainer

Bloom Energy

STEM Network

Croda | Walmart

STEM Business

Agilent Technologies | American Chemical Society Delaware Section | Autumn Arch

STEM Gifts in Kind

Chesapeake Utilities | ChristianaCare | Corteva Agriscience

Delaware Department of Education | Delaware Design Company | Delaware Technical Community College Delaware Nature Society | DelawareBio | Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control

EDiS | FAME, Inc. | Junior Achievement | Million Women Mentors | STEMconnector

Stroud Water Research Center | University of Delaware | Whisman Giordano & Associates

Partners Community

Delaware Afterschool Network | Delaware Department of Education

Delaware Pathways / Career and Technical Education Cadre | Delaware Math Coalition

Delaware Science Coalition | Delaware STEM Council Healthy Food for Healthy Kids

Wilmington Urban STEM Initiative

Delaware Foundation for Science and Math Education

100 W. 10th Street, Suite 612 

Wilmington, DE 19801 

Tel: 302.397.0034 | Fax: 302.397.0036 

Email: anne.dfsme@gmail.com

www.dfsme.org

©2023 Delaware Foundation for Science and Math Education

501(c)(3) Education nonprofit dealing with K-16 STEM education in Delaware schools.