Steven Walvig
Program Officer, Education
Inspiration: “Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.” — Kofi Annan
What working in this community means to me: “I am thrilled and honored to work with an amazing array of colleagues, community partners and organizations supporting educational and leadership development opportunities for our youth. Together, I know we can build a region where all youth have the ability to grow, thrive, and reach their full potential.”
Steven is a program officer within the holistic grantmaking and equity team where his portfolio is focused on education in out-of-school time (OST) and career and future readiness. In this role, Steven supports youth, youth development programs and youth-serving organizations. His team works to enhance and transform the lives of all children, preparing them for the future workforce and supporting them as they build the knowledge, skills, mindsets, and relationships necessary to succeed in our highly technical and globally connected world.
Prior to joining United Way, Steven was the director of education at The Bakken Museum, leading nationally-acclaimed, award-winning STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education programs. He also served as chief executive for two statewide STEM-based nonprofit organizations, SciMathMN and the Minnesota Science Teachers Association (MnSTA). As board chairman of SciMathMN and President of MnSTA, Steven successfully led and directed strategic planning, fundraising, and mission-related activities. He received his bachelor’s degree in biology from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota.
Steven volunteers his professional STEM education expertise in a variety of roles. He recently served as the National Science Teaching Association’s (NSTA) Informal Science Division Director and a board member of NSTA. Steven is a proud Minnesotan who loves biking, rock climbing, photography and being outside as often as possible.