Giving Compass' Take:

• Education Dive explains that schools in rural areas have trouble finding STEM resources due to insufficient funding, tech gaps, teacher shortages, and other challenges.

• How can donors help spread access to STEM resources in areas that need them most? Partnerships with higher education institutions is one recommendation that holds promise. Meanwhile, there are grant opportunities from museums and even NASA.

• Expanding access to STEM classes and resources can help produce more STEM careers.

Rural schools often face greater challenges in providing strong STEM education. They are often in smaller school districts or those that face declining enrollment. In addition, they often face issues with Internet servicewhich can limit access for students at home, though a number of states are working to close that gap. Finding quality STEM teachers is also a challenge, since many specialists aren't attracted to rural districts that often pay less, an issue that can sometimes be handled with technology that allows these educators to teach via virtual conferencing.

A number of grant opportunities are also available for rural schools. The National Math + Science Initiative offers some resources for schools and educators, while The Museum of Science in Boston has a full range of engineering resources for student in Pre-K to high school, and NASA also offers a number of STEM resources free of charge to schools.

Read the full article about finding STEM resources by Amelia Harper at Education Dive.