Mistletoe School, where I teach, is transitioning to a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) academy for the upcoming school year. In STEM curriculum these four domains are integrated during instruction. Language arts, history, and electives can also be interwoven if desired. Students work on project-based instruction that incorporates a loop of research, design, building, testing, evaluation, and improvement. Aside from the excitement our staff and students have in anticipation of this, here are our main reasons for making such a bold move.
A field of opportunities
Opportunities for occupations in STEM related fields are growing rapidly.[1] Yet the demand for these workers in America far exceeds the supply of well-prepared students. This demand will increase drastically in the next ten years. Biomedical engineering is projected to grow by 62%![2] During the recent economic downturn, the unemployment rate for STEM jobs was half the rate for non-STEM jobs. This means that the student with such a degree is almost sure to find employment.
A field ripe for harvest
STEM employment will offer top-tier salaries. In fact, STEM related occupations are among the best-paying job opportunities available to today’s students. The student who carries a degree in engineering will be in a better position to pay off student loan debt than any other field. The U.S. Labor Department has listed the ten highest paying jobs, and all are STEM related.[3] The five top paying four-year college degrees are also all ST.E.M. majors.[4]
Gender equity
There is much concern today about gender pay gap. However, this gap is all but absent in the tech and engineering fields. In fact, Cynthia Than of Quartz says, “research shows that there is no statistically significant difference in earnings between male and female engineers who have the same credentials and make the same choices regarding their career.”[5] Moreover, because there is a great deficit of women entering these majors in college, the opportunity for high-paying employment is even more readily available for women who choose STEM degrees.
Our students can learn science by reading a text, taking notes, or following a slide presentation. However, there are no job opportunities in the fields of science, technology, engineering, or math for people who merely can read a book, take notes, and watch a PowerPoint. They need to now how to do research, how to design, how to build, how to test, how to evaluate, how to improve, and how to persevere in this cycle of exploration. They need to know
[1] Teach.com, http://teach.com/what/teachers-know/stem-education
[2] U.S. Department of Education, http://www.ed.gov/stem
[3] Science Pioneers, https://www.sciencepioneers.org/parents/why-stem-is-important-to-everyone
[4] Pay Scale, http://www.payscale.com/college-salary-report/majors-that-pay-you-back
[5] Quartz, Cynthia Than, http://qz.com/182977/there-is-no-gender-gap-in-tech-salaries/
Opportunities for occupations in STEM related fields are growing rapidly.[1] Yet the demand for these workers in America far exceeds the supply of well-prepared students. This demand will increase drastically in the next ten years. Biomedical engineering is projected to grow by 62%![2] During the recent economic downturn, the unemployment rate for STEM jobs was half the rate for non-STEM jobs. This means that the student with such a degree is almost sure to find employment.
A field ripe for harvest
STEM employment will offer top-tier salaries. In fact, STEM related occupations are among the best-paying job opportunities available to today’s students. The student who carries a degree in engineering will be in a better position to pay off student loan debt than any other field. The U.S. Labor Department has listed the ten highest paying jobs, and all are STEM related.[3] The five top paying four-year college degrees are also all ST.E.M. majors.[4]
- Petroleum Engineering
- Actuarial Mathematics
- Nuclear Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Electronics and Communication Engineering
Gender equity
There is much concern today about gender pay gap. However, this gap is all but absent in the tech and engineering fields. In fact, Cynthia Than of Quartz says, “research shows that there is no statistically significant difference in earnings between male and female engineers who have the same credentials and make the same choices regarding their career.”[5] Moreover, because there is a great deficit of women entering these majors in college, the opportunity for high-paying employment is even more readily available for women who choose STEM degrees.
Our students can learn science by reading a text, taking notes, or following a slide presentation. However, there are no job opportunities in the fields of science, technology, engineering, or math for people who merely can read a book, take notes, and watch a PowerPoint. They need to now how to do research, how to design, how to build, how to test, how to evaluate, how to improve, and how to persevere in this cycle of exploration. They need to know
[1] Teach.com, http://teach.com/what/teachers-know/stem-education
[2] U.S. Department of Education, http://www.ed.gov/stem
[3] Science Pioneers, https://www.sciencepioneers.org/parents/why-stem-is-important-to-everyone
[4] Pay Scale, http://www.payscale.com/college-salary-report/majors-that-pay-you-back
[5] Quartz, Cynthia Than, http://qz.com/182977/there-is-no-gender-gap-in-tech-salaries/
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