Wave of the future
By now, the school year is in full swing, and as a parent, you might find yourself hearing about STEM education from your child’s teacher or educational media.
Simply put, STEM fields – science, technology, engineering and mathematics – are now being addressed in kindergarten-12th-grade classrooms (and college) as a way to improve the future of technology development.
Why is this important? According to ACT, only 45 percent of high school graduates in 2011 were ready for college courses in math with only 30 percent being ready for science. And according to Change the Equation, a nonprofit with a mission to intersect business and education to ensure STEM literacy, “Technological innovation accounted for almost half of U.S. economic growth over the past 50 years, and almost all of the 30 fastest-growing occupations in the next decade will require at least some background in STEM.”
In fact, by 2018, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the bulk of STEM careers will be: 71 percent computing; 16 percent traditional engineering; 7 percent physical sciences; 4 percent life sciences and 2 percent mathematics. STEMconnector.org reports that these STEM-related jobs will account for 8.65 million workers.
Your child will first be introduced to STEM education in elementary school. At such an early age, the idea is to spark the curiosity of students; rather than them feeling they have to pursue the courses, this allows them to want to pursue the courses.
Once students begin middle school, this is when they become more familiar with the occupations and awareness of STEM fields with their courses being more challenging and thorough.
High school then signifies the utmost preparation for post-secondary education and employment related to STEM.
Of course, there is emphasis at all levels for parents to bridge the in-school and out-of-school STEM opportunities. Let’s break the acronym down to determine what you can do as a parent to better equip your child with the knowledge he or she needs for a future career in STEMrelated fields.
S: Science While streaming “Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey” on your family’s Netflix account does put science in your living room, there are other resources for parents both outside of the house and online. In Shreveport-Bossier City, you can visit Sci-Port: Louisiana’s Science Center, which houses 290 hands-on exhibits for people of all ages, the Ralph A. Worley Observatory hosts star parties for all ages and for those seeking flightbased science, the Barksdale Global Power Museum is another great resource in town.
At home, visit the National Science Teachers Association’s website, specifically the page regarding science resources for parents (nsta.org/parents/). There you’ll find books you can read with your student, competitions your child can apply for related to science or opportunities for girls to apply for savings bonds up to $1,000. T: Technology With children today already growing up in a digital world, thanks to social media and smartphones, a future career in technology doesn’t seem too farfetched. The challenge will be to hone in on the aspects of technology that can allow for this hobby to flourish rather than simply waste time. According to U.S. News and World Report, this is expected to the be “one of the fastest-growing fields between now and 2022.” Their list of the best technology jobs today include: software developer, computer systems analyst, IT manager, Web developer and computer programmer.
“I personally feel like in 20-30 years we are going to see [software] programming as [we see] Excel and Word [today],” said Keith Hanson, founder of Twin Engines, a locally grown software development company. “Getting these types of programs in now will allow us to much more easily adapt that workforce in the future.”
Hanson added that a great platform to train kids on programming is LEGO Mindstorms, a series of kits that contain software and hardware to create customizable, programmable robots.
How else can you pique your child’s interest in this field? During the summer, there’s the option of iD Tech summer camps for students ages 7-18. Visit idtech. com/ to request a brochure and to learn more.
It would also be worth your while to check out DigiFest South, an annual digital arts festival and tech expo, which is taking place Sept. 17 and 18 at the CenturyLink Center in Bossier City. Learn more at digifestsouth.com/.
E: Engineering With biomedical engineering jobs alone, the U.S. Department of Education sees a projected increase of 62 percent by 2020. Currently, 2.4 million employees with an annual mean salary of $79,000 make up the engineering workforce in America, according to the Open Education Database (oedb.org/careers/ engineering/). These occupations include work in mining, computer hardware, nuclear energy and electronics. While most of the jobs require a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree will be beneficial for licensure. This field, however, does allow for students with only an associate’s degree to enter the workforce while pursuing a more advanced degree.
To get your child excited about engineering, start off with DESIGN SQUAD Nation, an initiative provided by the Public Broadcasting Service (pbskids.org/designsquad/engineers/). The materials are applicable to parents, teachers and engineers.
M: Mathematics Bear with me, as there are ways to make math fun! Plus, we’ll always need help with our personal finances, right? A career choice in mathematics can go the way of teaching, computer science, actuary or finance.
In fact, CareerCast ranked mathematician as the best job this year considering the factors of income, outlook, stress and environment. Statistician was close behind at third. Plus, PayScale reported that the Top 15 highest-earning college degrees have one common denominator: math.
The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics provides resources for parents on their website, nctm. org/resources/families.aspx, and The University of Chicago’s School Mathematics Project has resources for parents according to their child’s grade level at everydaymath.uchicago.edu/ parents/. Visit either for ideas of games, tutorials and simulations to do at home.
With better equipped parents, certified educators and curious students, the STEM-related workforce will be in good hands come 2024. How will you help shape it?
