Encourage STEM
in your middle
schooler
BPT
E
ven though many Americans understand the
importance of STEM education, children in
the U.S. continue to lose interest in science,
technology, engineering and math subjects at young ages.
Not surprisingly, 44 percent of U.S. adults say they felt
more excited about science when they were kids, reports
the State of Science Index, a global study commissioned by
3M examining the general population’s attitudes toward
science. Maintaining students’ interest in science during the
middle school years is crucial to increasing the likelihood
they’ll pursue STEM careers. That’s important, since
studies show our nation will need to produce an additional
one million STEM workers between 2012 and 2022 alone.
“There are three to four million STEM job openings in the
U.S. right now, and companies can’t find American workers
with the skills they need. Fifty percent of everybody’s jobs
right now are STEM, and they’re predicting that in the next
10 years about 75 percent of all jobs will involve STEM.”
What can parents and educators do to foster more interest?
Consider the following:
* Find role models. If a child doesn’t know anyone
working in STEM, he or she may be unable to imagine
a career in such roles. Introduce him or her to people
actively working in such fields, then encourage
discussion and/or job shadowing. Teachers might
bring in speakers who can answer candid questions
That said, we’re still not on track to meet demand, partly about the rewards and challenges in their fields -
because students continue to lose interest.
including significant demand and attractive pay scales.
What’s the answer? Creating a rich culture of STEM
education in schools requires professional development,
suggests Cindy Moss, vice president of global STEM
initiatives for curriculum developer Discovery Education.
She points to research showing teachers need 80 hours
of cumulative targeted professional development
before effectively teaching STEM-promoting classes.
* Seek achievement opportunities. Introducing children
to engaging events like the annual Discovery Education
3M Young Scientist Challenge may spark their sense
of competition and passion for STEM. The annual
contest, which is accepting submissions until April
19, invites innovators in grades five through eight to
develop one- to two-minute videos describing their
ideas for creative solutions to tackle everyday problems.
“Many educators in our country believe we need to The top 10 finalists receive a summer mentorship
accelerate our approach to STEM education,” Moss says. with a 3M scientist, and the winner will receive
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WINTER GARDEN MAGAZINE
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AUGUST 2018