Dr. Danny M. D’Amore, Outreach Lead
August 2023When you ask someone why STEM education is important, the answer will vary wildly, but one thing remains the same – STEM education provides great benefits for people of all ages. A background that involves STEM education does not necessarily mean an individual will go on to become a STEM professional, but it will still provide them with important life skills for any path they decide to go down. We will start at the beginning. STEM education is important for children for a variety of reasons, but here are our top three:
1. Nurturing Creativity, Innovation, and Resilience – Children are naturally curious, and STEM toys and games allow them to explore their curiosity through investigating the world around them. They’re able to answer their questions about how things work, and often times through a trial-and-error process.
2. Developing Problem-solving Skills – The trial-and-error process not only promotes resilience, but also teaches children how to approach a problem in a variety of ways. If the first method doesn’t succeed, there are several others they might try.
3. Promoting Technological Literacy – We live in a technological age; sometimes it feels like there’s a new innovation every week. By providing children with the skills they need to navigate technological advances at an early age, we’re better preparing them for the changes that will inevitably come their way later on in their life.
2. Developing Problem-solving Skills – The trial-and-error process not only promotes resilience, but also teaches children how to approach a problem in a variety of ways. If the first method doesn’t succeed, there are several others they might try.
3. Promoting Technological Literacy – We live in a technological age; sometimes it feels like there’s a new innovation every week. By providing children with the skills they need to navigate technological advances at an early age, we’re better preparing them for the changes that will inevitably come their way later on in their life.
STEM education does not have to end with childhood. Anyone can benefit from expanding their STEM knowledge, at any point in their life. Below are some reasons that STEM education remains important once you leave high school:
1. Innovation and Economic Growth – Just as children benefit from exercising their ability to imagine, problem-solving benefits adults when problem-solving is applied to the technological and economic sectors. For example, biotechnology and biomedicine are some of the fastest growing sectors right now. Demand for individuals working in these fields will continue to grow.
2. Developing Critical Thinking Skills – Critical thinking is not relevant to the scientific process alone. Adults are faced with dozens, if not hundreds, of choices each day, with varying degrees of importance. When faced with a large choice, such as buying a car or applying for a mortgage, it’s important to be able to think critically about offers being made, potential drawbacks, or legitimacy of claims.
3. Promoting Equity – While the STEM fields have been historically dominated by certain groups, promoting universal STEM education can help reduce racial and gender gaps. Ensuring access to STEM education will also allow individuals to improve their scientific and technological literacy, which are important skills regardless of their profession.
4. Scientific Literacy – A basic understanding of science and technology is increasingly important in this technological age. We’re asked to navigate a lot of critical, large-scale problems, including understanding the implications of climate change, making sense of facts presented to us by politicians, deciphering statistics in the news, or making informed health decisions for ourselves. Understanding how to ask questions and where to find answers if we don’t know right away are important skills.
2. Developing Critical Thinking Skills – Critical thinking is not relevant to the scientific process alone. Adults are faced with dozens, if not hundreds, of choices each day, with varying degrees of importance. When faced with a large choice, such as buying a car or applying for a mortgage, it’s important to be able to think critically about offers being made, potential drawbacks, or legitimacy of claims.
3. Promoting Equity – While the STEM fields have been historically dominated by certain groups, promoting universal STEM education can help reduce racial and gender gaps. Ensuring access to STEM education will also allow individuals to improve their scientific and technological literacy, which are important skills regardless of their profession.
4. Scientific Literacy – A basic understanding of science and technology is increasingly important in this technological age. We’re asked to navigate a lot of critical, large-scale problems, including understanding the implications of climate change, making sense of facts presented to us by politicians, deciphering statistics in the news, or making informed health decisions for ourselves. Understanding how to ask questions and where to find answers if we don’t know right away are important skills.
Ultimately, providing STEM education for the next generation is not just a matter of ensuring a well-rounded education or preparing them for the ever-changing job market. Providing inquiry-based learning is about equipping people of all ages with the skills and knowledge they need to understand and shape the world around them. It's not just about science or engineering, it’s about nurturing creativity, promoting equity, and working towards solutions for global problems.
Previous Article