Accelerate STEAM Education: The 2025 GM Challenge

About this funding opportunity

Accelerate STEAM Education: The 2025 GM Challenge

How can we increase STEAM learning in the United States, and allow learners of all ages to explore and succeed in STEAM careers?

This challenge has now closed. The 2025 GM Challenge Winners

Announcing the winners of the 2025 GM Challenge! These solutions bring STEAM to life and unlock real-world career pathways. Congratulations!

Overview General Motors and MIT Solve are excited to announce Accelerate STEAM Education: The 2025 GM Challenge.

The Challenge seeks inspiring solutions that increase STEAM learning in the United States and allow learners of all ages to explore and succeed in STEAM careers. Challenge Overview

STEAM education, integrating science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics, represents a critical pathway for preparing learners for an ever-evolving world. However, significant barriers prevent many students from accessing quality STEAM learning experiences and pursuing STEAM careers. Current gaps in representation, accessibility, and engagement disproportionately affect some learners, meaning far too few are gaining the skills and confidence needed to thrive in STEAM fields like Information Technology, Automotive and Electrical Engineering, Industrial Manufacturing, and Renewable Energy.

STEAM occupations are projected to grow by 8% between now and 2029, compared to 3.4% for non-STEAM occupations, with median annual wages of $86,980 for STEAM jobs versus $39,810 for all occupations \ [source]. In order to meet this demand, many more students should have access to the foundational experiences, mentorship, and resources needed to envision themselves in these high-growth, high-wage careers.

Students can struggle to see themselves as "scientists" or "engineers" due to lack of representation and role models who share their backgrounds \ [source]. Cultural context and examples in educational materials may not resonate with all student populations, and many educational technologies are only available in English. Financial constraints limit per-student funding for critical resources like labs, makerspaces, internship programs, and STEAM extracurriculars, while technical barriers like inadequate broadband prevent access to digital learning tools.

Educators need support to implement effective instructional practices that serve students with diverse learning needs. For example, students with disabilities spend 80% of their day in general education classrooms \ [source], limiting exposure to STEAM curriculum. Despite being in STEAM majors, students with disabilities are less likely to secure STEAM careers \ [source]. Teacher professional development opportunities need to support educators in creating welcoming STEAM environments for all learners.

There is tremendous opportunity to leverage technology to address these systemic barriers. Personalized learning platforms can adapt to individual learner interests, styles, and pace while providing culturally responsive content. Immersive technologies like virtual and augmented reality can create hands-on learning experiences for schools lacking physical resources. Digital mentorship platforms can connect students with diverse role models and career pathway exploration tools. For educators, professional development can be augmented with micro-credentialing opportunities, bias training resources, and data-driven instructional improvement tools.

This Challenge seeks innovative solutions that have strong potential to be implemented across diverse educational settings serving learners of all ages. Solutions must benefit all learners but should prioritize strategies that support individuals facing the biggest barriers to opportunity.

We're seeking solutions that improve the quality and accessibility of STEAM education and improve pathways to STEAM careers by addressing one or more of the following key areas: Build Confidence via Mentorship & Role Models: Help learners see themselves as capable STEAM practitioners…

Topic areas: Education and Training, Workforce Development, General and Cross-cutting R&D.

Funding amount

This other provides Varies in funding.

Deadline

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis; there is no single fixed deadline.

Who can apply

This opportunity is open to the following applicant types:

• Not specified by the program.

Eligibility

The program did not publish a separate eligibility statement. See the official opportunity page for the full eligibility criteria.

Agency

Accelerate STEAM Education: The 2025 GM Challenge is administered by MIT Solve (MIT Solve), listed via MIT Solve.