STEMIE will provide a series of professional development, ongoing coaching, resources, and a face-to-face leadership institute over a 2-year period to UCP of Central Florida and Frankie Lemmon School. An additional two early childhood programs will be selected in 2026.

This center-based targeted professional development is to ensure early childhood educators will be equipped with the skills to foster a classroom environment where children with and without disabilities can engage in meaningful and playful STEM (science, technology [computational thinking], engineering, and math) experiences.

In the long term, early childhood educators in this center-based TA cohort will have the confidence and competence to support each and every child to develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills. Children in the program will also build a strong foundation for future academic success and a lifelong love of STEM.