OUR WORK NMSI
Closing the STEM talent gap in the classroom
By 2030, the United States could face a shortage of 1.4 million STEM workers, a shortage that threatens both innovation and economic growth. The National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI), a nonprofit with a proven track record in teacher professional development, is uniquely positioned to address this challenge by strengthening STEM instruction at its source: the classroom.
NMSI re-engaged FINN in 2021 to expand its impact beyond grant-funded initiatives and promote its new service model. This evolution required a nuanced, integrated marketing approach to reach state education leaders and superintendents responsible for system-level STEM decisions.
GOAL
Build awareness of NMSI’s updated delivery model among state chiefs and district administrators and elevate awareness of NMSI’s role in solving the STEM workforce shortage.
SECTOR EXPERTISE
Education
12B
total reach
50%
share of voice
706
webinar registrants
The Work
NMSI is built on the belief that STEM success begins in the classroom. Through evidence-backed teacher professional development, NMSI helps strengthen the instruction that builds STEM identity and opens pathways for students, especially those historically underrepresented in STEM fields.
FINN began by refreshing NMSI’s messaging framework and expanding buyer personas to include state education leaders and superintendents. From there, we developed a comprehensive integrated communications strategy to support NMSI’s updated service model and align its work with the growing urgency of the STEM workforce gap.
That strategy was activated through a coordinated mix of PR, paid media, and content marketing. Earned media and thought leadership elevated NMSI’s experts in national conversations about STEM readiness, equity, and workforce development, supported by LinkedIn content and speaking engagements such as SXSW EDU. To ensure guaranteed visibility and generate high-quality leads, FINN facilitated a sponsored Education Week webinar connecting education leaders directly with NMSI subject-matter experts, which attracted more than 700 attendees.
Complementing these efforts, FINN developed cornerstone content assets including a STEM professional development buyer’s guide, a STEM identity white paper, and an interactive quiz to educate prospects and support lead generation and nurturing.
Through sustained, strategic communications, FINN helped NMSI reintroduce its evolved service model to the education leaders best positioned to enact systemic change in STEM education.