Students from all backgrounds can be successful in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) if they have access to high quality, evidence based STEM teaching and learning opportunities, including those that feature hands-on, inquiry-based, applied, and career relevant experiences. The California STEM Learning Network's goals are to increase students' access to high quality STEM learning opportunities in both in and out of school settings in order to:

A collaborative effort of leaders across the state from the formal and informal education sectors as well as business and industry, STEM researchers, libraries, science rich education institutions, education policy groups, professional organizations, and philanthropic communities, CSLNet's focus is to create a statewide system and network of individuals and entities dedicated to advancing STEM education and student outcomes. CSLNet's partnerships with key entities in California and statewide STEM networks in other states will help accelerate the improvement of STEM teaching and learning. It will do so by serving as a catalyst for additional research based programs and services, spreading new knowledge about "what works", under what conditions, and why, and the sharing of innovation assets developed locally but able to be shared globally, as a result of a carefully designed knowledge capture system instituted by partners in the network.