TweetThe concept of the 3 R's: reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic, dates back hundreds of years. STEM education, by comparison, is relatively young. Although STEM is now a common acronym, the concept of an increased emphasis on science and engineering was popularized during the Space Race of the 1950s.In 2013, I listened with surprise as the director of a major STEM initiative proclaimed that he felt so strongly about the importance of STEM education in preparing the 21st century workforce, that he didn't think U.S. students should receive federal grants and loans to study liberal arts in college.Although I'm avid STEM supporter, I found his worldview limited. I'm glad to know that there are other leaders with an eye toward the future think in broader terms. For example, in a recent talk about colonizing Mars, NASA's deputy administrator, Dava Newman, spoke about the need to bring people with a broad range of skills, talents and interests (including artists) to the Red Planet. Dava spoke about the importance of inviting all students to play a role in shaping our future. She reminded her audience of the need to draw from diverse viewpoints in order to reach our country's ambitious science and technology goals. Dava is a proponent of STEAMD. STEAMSTEAM, or STEM + Arts, emphasizes the importance of artists, storytellers and other creators of culture. Educators have found that adding the arts to STEM opens the door for creative narratives and artistic flair. STEAM is also a gateway to deeper involvement in STEM for many girls.STEAMDSTEAMD is STEAM + Design. Design--or design thinking--differs from art; it incorporates not only aesthetics, but also elements like function, as well as social and economic context. Design thinking is a process or methodology to create physical products that solve problems and meet needs. There isn't one universally agreed upon definition of design thinking. This four-minute video provides one viewpoint; Stanford University's d.school provides another. Others have their own spin on STEM.STEEMSTEEM is STEM with a health dose of Entrepreneurship education. Young people benefit from understanding what it takes to build a successful business so that when they invent or discover the next big thing they can scale it into a business. Take, for example, 2013 Young Scientist Challenge finalist Brooke Martin. She appeared on Shark Tank to pitch her invention, a device for dog owners to communication with their dogs from afar. Brooke continues to build her business and has also branched out into other products.STEEM also promotes economic opportunity and helps prepare students for an uncertain economy. Even if they don't run a large business or sell products, there's a good chance today's students will be managing careers as freelancers, moving from gig to gig.Arts, design thinking, or entrepreneurship- add a little something to STEM in your classroom as your students prepare to enter the 2017 Young Scientist Challenge!
