Now take a look to what the teenage and college students, to which many STEAM-educators have begun to give less attention, are gravitating. What are they watching every day on their mobile devices? Music, games, sports, and entertainment videos. So, if that is where their interest lies, corporations have a great opportunity to market and recruit to these young peoples’ passions. And while, they may not be able to reach them directly in the classroom, they certainly can reach them by conducting unique and specially sponsored events in which the STEAM behind sports and entertainment is showcased.
All of a sudden upon attending one of these events, the light bulb goes on. The student begins to understand that while he or she may not be able to become the next on-field, on-stage, or on-court performer, that the sports and entertainment professions they love may be a whole lot more accessible as career choices if they have STEAM-oriented training. While entertainment and sports professions are projected to grow 6 percent in the next 10 years, according to the U.S Department of Labor Statistics, the impact of technology on these professions will likely create an even greater surge.
Corporations have to tell and sell that message ... but they have to do it better than they do now. By simply providing minimal funds – less than those they currently provide via marketing, branding and sponsorships – to the perceived less glamorous “non-profit” areas through which they currently support STEAM educational programs, companies are not reaching and encouraging enough talented young people who desire and seek careers in sports or entertainment to become STEAM focused.
In a perfect world, the two segments of the corporation work together. Imagine the results if a company’s marketing and sponsorship platform collaborated with the actual STEAM-educational programs. By sharing ideas and funds to help create and support programs that showcase the excitement behind that company’s STEAM-centric product, the company’s future success and leadership could be significantly enhanced.
[Bob Dickinson is president and founder of STEAM Sports Group and STEAM Sports Foundation. STEAM Sports Group is a marketing and special events firm that creates and manages corporately supported programs and campaigns in the world of sports and entertainment with an emphasis on STEAM. STEAM Sports Foundation is a 501c3 whose purpose is to create sports-oriented scholarships, curriculums, camps, and support activation opportunities. It has operations in Atlanta, San Francisco and Greenville, SC.]
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"A holistic approach to support STEM education is vital to success. That not only includes attracting youth to STEM, but also ensuring that programs,
teachers and standards are in place when they
engage. " ~Chevron