DIGITS was created by the STEMTech Alliance – a unique coalition of six Massachusetts science and technology associations representing over 1500 companies and 300,000 people who work in software, Internet, telecommunications, biotechnology, medical devices, engineering and clean energy. These associations include:
- Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council (lead organization)
- Massachusetts Biotechnology Education Foundation
- Massachusetts Medical Device Industry Council
- Massachusetts Networks Communications Council
- The Engineering Center
- The New England Clean Energy Council
In late 2007, the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council reached out to five other science and technology, vertical industry associations to ask them to work collaboratively to tackle a serious problem impacting Massachusetts’ global competitiveness and leadership in scientific and technological innovation. The problem – the diminishing pipeline of students in science, technology, engineering and math (dubbed STEM by the National Science Foundation) is resulting in a shrinking pool of STEM-qualified workers for science and technology-based businesses. A few statistics underscore this problem:
- Nationally, 28% of high school students taking the SATs indicate they are interested in pursuing a STEM career. But in Massachusetts, that number is only 22%. By contrast, that number for North Carolina is 34%.
- A Raytheon study found that 84% of US middle school students would rather clean their rooms, eat their vegetables, take out the garbage, or go to the dentist – than do their math homework.
- National research reports indicate that if we do not increase the numbers of the students interested in entering STEM careers in the next decade or two, it is estimated that 90% of all scientists and engineers will live in Asia.
The creative genius behind the DIGITS program was Arnold Worldwide, a premier advertising agency in Boston, MA, that contributed its outstanding services on a pro bono basis. The Arnold team won a Bronze Award in October, 2009 at the prestigious Hatch Awards, for the brand, logo, and tagline they created for the DIGITS program.
