Parents play an important role in fostering children’s interests. Sometimes, it starts with something small – a bedtime story about wonderful adventures, encouraging creativity through play, or working together as a family when making a meal. For many adults, those moments as children can often be inspirational – the moment that starts a journey to a new career.
In recent years, interest in non-medical STEM fields has been declining. In real-time, we’re seeing a decline in interest in careers such as engineering – career pathways that are highly respected and sought-after. In a world where STEM is critical to career success, today’s youth are simply switching off
How can parents harness students’ imaginations to foster an interest in STEM? Why is this occurring? Is there anything that parents can do to spark children’s imaginations, given that they may end up studying a Bachelor of Science or one day upskill by completing an engineering management program later in life?
Why Is STEM Important?
The concept of STEM has been around for nearly three decades. It was coined by educators in collaboration with the National Science Foundation (NSF) as a way to identify the skills that are commonly used across fields in pure and applied science.
It’s important to recognize that the skills learned in the core STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) form the core skills requirements of many modern roles. Take, for example, a computer programmer – they may use their STEM knowledge to understand complex programming languages and help create and iterate on solutions.
STEM skills are incredibly useful in the modern workforce. Careers can change rapidly – as we’ve seen in recent job growth in fields such as cybersecurity, automation, and AI. Having highly transferable skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and computer literacy can be critical to success in these emerging industries.
The STEM Gaps – What’s The Impact?
A lack of capable STEM graduates can have a profound impact on the job market in the United States. Consider, for example, the potential gaps in industries that rely heavily on STEM skills, such as computer science and engineering.
One of the challenges is that students, particularly teenage girls, are not particularly interested in a STEM career upon graduation. A recent survey conducted by research firm Big Village found that only one in ten teen girls wanted to pursue a non-medical STEM career upon graduation, presenting challenges for diversity in the workforce.
Employment projections based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics project that over the decade 2021-2031, there will be significant labor shortages for computer science specialists, as well as shortfalls in other STEM professions. This can present substantial challenges for organizations that rely on these professions to operate and support infrastructure – whether that be programmers, cybersecurity specialists, or other fields that require STEM skills.
This can often have knock-on effects in other fields that require STEM skills, such as science teachers. Without a sufficient number of graduates with a STEM background, an economy can struggle to provide a foundation for new and emerging fields.
If the U.S. could close the STEM gap while also appealing to a diverse cross-section of graduates, it could mean a substantial economic uplift. It could also help tackle some of the challenges that exist in today’s male-dominated workforce, such as gender and racial bias in software.
Infusing an Interest in STEM
To begin tackling the STEM shortages, it’s important that all stakeholders make a concerted effort to highlight STEM and its role in our everyday lives. Parents, teachers, employers, educators – to revitalize a passion for STEM, everyone is going to need to work together to inspire and motivate a new generation of STEM learners.
Nurturing a passion can be tough. With many young people, particularly young women, switching off to STEM, finding ways to infuse an interest in STEM skills in the classroom will be vital for long-term success.
One corporation that’s looking to help support a new generation of STEM students is tech giant Microsoft – one of the largest employers of programmers and other STEM-skill graduates worldwide. Working with schools, they’ve created a number of digital learning experiences – allowing students to get hands-on experience with the sort of things that you can do with STEM.
Experiences vary wildly between schools, whether using technology to create a podcast or promoting creativity and critical thinking through dedicated STEM spaces. Ultimately, their objectives are the same – to foster an interest in STEM that goes beyond what’s taught in the classroom.
Going Beyond The Classroom
It’s helpful to remember that some of the greatest advocates for technology, such as entrepreneurs Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, didn’t start their STEM careers embedded behind a computer. Instead, they started Apple Computer Company in their garage, forging a pathway for millions of new STEM professionals in the decades since.
To truly appreciate STEM, you have to think beyond the classroom. History has been heavily influenced by the role that STEM has had in everyday life – you don’t even need to look too far back to see the intrinsic role that it has had in everything from fighting pandemics to an era of spaceflight.
Museums offer a wonderful way to connect with the past, and some places, such as the Great Lakes Science Center, allow visitors to interact with exhibits hands-on. Encouraging curiosity by simply going outside and discovering the world around you can be a great way to learn about the natural world and the role that it has in our everyday lives.
It’s vital to recognize that to learn about STEM; you don’t need the best technology – it’s about fostering curiosity and an interest in new things, which may then evolve into a future career in a related field.
Playing Our Part
Ultimately, we all have a role to play in fostering an interest in STEM, especially as a new generation of students looks to explore their career options. Whether you’re an educator, a parent, or a future employer, showing how STEM is more than just an acronym will be vital to capturing the hearts and minds of students.
So the next time you hear about something awesome that’s STEM-related, think about sharing it with the ones you love. You never know – maybe that cool story about a rocket will inspire the next generation of American STEM specialists.
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