Challenge

The Biogen Foundation partnered with Root Cause to design and implement a new, multi-year philanthropic initiative. The STAR Initiative is a coordinated funding strategy designed to help catalyze the development of a local STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) ecosystem across Cambridge and Somerville public schools.  STAR (which stands for Science, Teacher support, Access and Readiness) is intended to strengthen and support the educational landscapes in these cities by helping increase access to STEM resources and opportunities for students most underrepresented in STEM college or career pathways.

Overview

Root Cause conducted research to inform the design of the STAR Initiative model, which consists of a group of selected nonprofit grantees that will strengthen their alignment and coordination with each other and with Cambridge and Somerville school districts to expand and deepen STEM learning opportunities for students in grades 6-12.  Selected nonprofits will target traditionally underserved students to engage and develop their interest in the STEM fields, gain necessary STEM exposure and enrichment opportunities, and transition to post-secondary STEM education in pursuit of STEM careers. Our team, led by Sonja Okun, supported the Biogen Foundation leadership in honing their strategy to invest $10 million into a coordinated network of grantees over four years.

To date, Root Cause has worked with Biogen Foundation to develop a theory of change for the initiative, design the model, develop a Request for Proposals for nonprofits to apply for funding to be part of the STAR initiative, and screen and select grantees. Root Cause is currently coordinating the STAR Initiative, which consists of developing aligned objectives and outcomes, helping to strengthen relationships and coordination amongst STAR grantees and other stakeholders in Cambridge and Somerville, facilitating collaboration to share learnings, data, and challenges, and creating performance measurement metrics.

The Biogen Foundation, with the help of Root Cause, officially announced new funding for this initiative in January of 2018. Root Cause guided the Biogen Foundation in the network selection criteria and process that resulted in the selection of six nonprofits that will share a four-year, $10 million investment to drive the development of a local STEM ecosystem across Cambridge and Somerville. The nonprofits include:

• Breakthrough Greater Boston
• Citizen Schools
• Enroot
• Lesley University
• uAspire
• Young People’s Project

For the first year of the initiative, Root Cause has worked with multiple stakeholders (such as Biogen Foundation leadership, STAR grantees, Cambridge and Somerville school district representatives, and district Superintendents) to facilitate and develop new and consistent ways to connect STAR grantees and district stakeholders. Root Cause has helped members of the STAR network to collaborate and design processes and systems for building strong, trusting relationships that maximize effective collaboration and coordination.  Root Cause also worked with partners to identify common goals and outcomes for a coordinated effort to build STEM education ecosystems that effectively serve all students.  

Root Cause’s current priorities for the network include developing tools to share organizational and program data among the grantees, ensuring the grantees’ work aligns with school districts’ strategic priorities, establishing more opportunities for grantee communication, and developing a plan to engage students as active stakeholders in the STAR initiative.

Reports/Newsletters:

• Year 1 Report
• Year 2 Report
• Summer 2020 Newsletter