The U.S. is in the midst of an engineering shortage, but there are no quick fixes on the horizon to solve this problem anytime soon. The best way to make up for this shortfall is by making sure that our future engineers are adequately prepared for their careers with a strong STEM education early on in their schooling, and many schools across America have recognized this need and established STEM programs as part of their curriculum or extracurricular activities.
Here’s some information about five of the most innovative high school STEM programs around today!
1) What Is a STEM School?
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. STEM is a curriculum designed to offer more hands-on learning aimed at career readiness in all of the above fields. There are plenty of reasons why a STEM school is important – including the fact that several recent studies have shown that students who participate in high schools with STEM programs are more likely to go on to work in STEM jobs, particularly at high-paying firms. STEM education is said to be preparing students for the future whether it’s through exposing students to new technologies and engineering practices or giving them opportunities to get ahead of common problems early by offering personalized learning experiences that allow for more active participation from the student.
2) What’s the Difference Between a STEM and Regular High School?
STEM is a niche area for certain schools to focus on, as opposed to creating a holistic learning experience that doesn’t distinguish students into various fields before they reach college or the workforce. In fact, most public school districts offer their own STEM programs as part of the core curriculum, whereas a STEM high school is a specific type of specialized high school that is associated with the next generation of education.
In most cases, STEM education offers more hands-on learning in their curriculum and various programs, such as Science Olympiad or FIRST Robotics club after-school activities.
These types of programs are great for students who want to learn about science and technology by going out into the field to gather data or create models that will be put into use later on when they enter college or have real-world jobs upon graduating.
3) Who Benefits from STEM Education?
STEM institutions are excellent for students who want to go into engineering or related fields when they get older, but STEM programs can be tailored to fit other types of careers. For example, the New York School of Career and Applied Studies offers a pediatric nursing program that places students within local hospitals in Brooklyn in an apprenticeship-style learning environment that not only teaches them about the basics of nursing care but also provides experience working directly with children in need. Their school is one of the dozens across America that focus on hands-on training through their respective STEM programs because there’s nothing like learning by doing if you truly want to understand how things work – whether it’s mastering new technology or applying math concepts to real-world situations.
4) What Are the Benefits of a STEM Education?
STEM programs benefit students in two ways. First, they offer personalized learning experiences for students who are interested in hands-on learning that can help them gain the technical expertise to become leaders within their respective fields.
Second, they give students valuable experience working with real companies and organizations through apprenticeship or internship opportunities that provide them with training on how to use math and science concepts in practical settings, which is extremely valuable knowledge when they enter college or their desired careers after high school. Not only will STEM education make you more valuable as an employee by giving you the tools to advance quickly compared to your peers without these valuable skills, but it can also enhance your long-term performance at work by making sure you understand how the company works from the bottom up.
5) Are There Other Benefits of a STEM Education?
In addition to preparing students for their careers after high school through hands-on learning that isn’t easily replicated by other types of programs, STEM educations can prepare students for college in a more personalized way. For example, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is one of several colleges that offer unique STEM courses designed for undergraduate students who are interested in pursuing degrees in engineering or computer science to familiarize them with courses they will take during their freshman year. The university uses this type of curriculum for incoming freshmen because there’s no better way to learn than by having an upperclassman walk you through theoretical concepts and help you solve real-world problems.
These types of courses give students who are new to college a leg up on their peers without the same STEM education by providing them with valuable insights into the curriculum and helping them build connections with the professors before they even set foot in lecture halls for their first semester at school. This can be extremely useful since some professors may only visit the first week or two of class once a year, so having an upperclassman walk you through the course material and help you understand the general concepts behind the theory could make all the difference when it comes to performance in school. STEM education institutions can be found at universities, community colleges, online, etc.
STEM schools offer a great opportunity for teens and young adults to learn about engineering and other STEM-related careers. They can help you make sense of the world around you, which is critical when it comes to understanding how things work. Engineering has never been more important in this day and age than it is today, but one thing that’s really changed over time is how we teach engineers. These days, engineering programs are much broader than they used to be because of the rise in technology fields like robotics or cyber security. So if you’re interested in any type of career-related to math or science, then a STEM might be your best bet!
