Global Women’s Innovation Network: Female Leaders Focus on Innovation in Education

Earlier today I had the opportunity to attend the first Annual Global Women’s Innovation Network (GlobalWIN) Luncheon, held at the Library of Commerce.   Helen Milby and the GlobalWIN Board pulled together an impressive group of speakers, including Congresswoman Melissa Bean, US Treasurer Rosie Rios, Lise Poulos from Monster Worldwide, and White House Domestic Policy Council Director Melody Barnes.

While the broad theme of innovation was discussed across a spectrum of industries and policy areas – from green building to electronic medical records – the topic that all of the speakers hit on was education.  The final guest speaker, Melody Barnes (who could have talked about the Social Innovation Fund, stimulus funding going to electric batteries, or any number of items in the President’s domestic policy agenda that include the word ‘innovation’), chose to home in on STEM education in addition to outlining Race to the Top and I3 criteria. 

Barnes, who was joined in the audience by Steve Robinson – Special Assistant to the President for STEM education, was particularly excited (…maybe because there were representatives from Microsoft, Intel, and other technology companies were in attendance)about the Educate to Innovate Campaign that was announced by the President last Fall and is designed to engage the private sector in STEM education programs.  Those of you with school age kids might be interested in the announcement made that, as part of the initiative, the first ever White House Science Fair is being planned for this Fall…somehow I don’t think my 8^th grade project on acid rain would make the cut.