BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — The Kern Economic Development Foundation's annual STEMposium event was recognized by the IEDC with the Excellence in Economic Development Award.

The IEDC’s Excellence in Economic Development Awards recognize the world’s best economic development programs and partnerships, marketing materials, and the year’s most influential leaders. The awards honor organizations and individuals for their efforts in creating positive change in urban, suburban, and rural communities.

"IEDC's recognition of KEDF’s signature event is the crowning achievement in the industry. It's an extraordinary honor to receive this prestigious award," said Richard Chapman, Executive Director.

Kern County ranks 4th in the nation for STEM jobs, according to the Brookings Institution, thanks to the area’s prevalence of energy, value-added agriculture, aerospace and defense, healthcare, and logistics/warehousing industries.

This event reaches students from all over the county of all ages. In its third year we nearly tripled the number of attendees from our inaugural year in 2017, with more than 2,500 students attending the event.