THE PLATFORM is COSI’s STEM pipeline program created to improve the lives of participating students through STEM education while promoting greater diversity within the future STEM workforce.

The program is a long term, immersive STEM learning experience and wrap-around education support system that:

• provides academic and career pathway support to high-achieving middle school and high school students from challenging socioeconomic backgrounds
• engages learners through weekly activities including team-based science projects, field trips to STEM companies and universities, multi-week STEM camps, seminars, career exploration activities, and college prep workshops
• promotes the future successful entrance of diverse students into STEM-based careers through mentorship, encouragement, exposure, and resources offered by COSI
• equips students with valuable experiences, relationships, and skills that will prepare them for high-paying STEM jobs that can change the long term economic trajectory and viability of their lives.

Today, we face two enormous STEM workforce challenges:

• STEM jobs are plentiful, pay well, and are undoubtedly where the national workforce is headed, but there is a marked shortage of people who possess the skills required to fill them.
• There is a prevailing lack of access among diverse and underserved populations to both STEM education and STEM careers.

At both the local and national levels, we need to increase interest in, ensure access to, and expand diversity within STEM career fields so that more people can be equipped with the skills needed to succeed in the workforce of tomorrow and gain the rewards of participation.
To do this, THE PLATFORM:

• engages and helps unlock the potential of diverse students from often overlooked segments of our community
• helps boost students’ career-readiness, workforce entrance into STEM industries, and matriculation to college
• provides long term, wrap-around STEM engagement, giving students who are often traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields a viable pathway to contribute to our 21st century STEM workforce
• supports the next generation of diverse STEM professionals.

THE PLATFORM launched in 2021, with an initial cohort of 15 ninth grade students. Each subsequent year, the program will add two additional cohorts, reaching full enrollment of 105 students in fall 2024. At full implementation, THE PLATFORM will serve students from grade 6 through their graduation from high school.

THE PLATFORM is one of five Priority Initiatives identified by COSI as the most impactful toward meeting our mission and vision to engage, inspire, and transform lives and communities by being the best partner in science, technology, and industry learning.

COSI invites your support of this special initiative.

Opportunities to Support:
GIVE A GIFT:
Make a gift today to support critical programs like THE PLATFORM, by donating here.

If you would like to discuss further, customizable opportunities to support the program, please contact Emily Fijol, Senior Director of Development, at (614) 629-3143 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

SPONSORSHIP:
To become an organizational partner in sponsoring THE PLATFORM, contact Maria Jones at (614) 629-3145 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We will be glad to discuss customized opportunities and how best to align your unique brand and philanthropic aims with this important, mission-critical initiative.

Thank you for helping create deep, meaningful, and transformative impact through THE PLATFORM, providing pathways to college and STEM career fields for some of our community’s most inspired science enthusiasts!