CSTEM and the future

The study of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) courses by American students is crucial to our country’s economy and our standing in the world as a global innovator. Students who master one of those disciplines are likely to find high-paying jobs when they complete their undergraduate and graduate education. Financially, they will do much better than students who pursued non-STEM related degrees, according to most economic forecasters.

There was once a time when our country ranked at the very top of the list of nations whose students were proficient in the hard sciences. Today, however, we rank 21st in math proficiency and 25TH in the hard sciences. Once we also led the world in the annual number of college graduates. Today, however, there are 17 countries that graduate more students each year than we do from colleges and universities.

The future for our students revolves around technology. And we must insist that they receive the academic training that will ensure their financial futures, and allow our country to regain its preeminence in science and technology.

Earlier this year President Obama stated that America must move from the middle to the very top in STEM education. He challenged our nation’s educators to produce 100,000 STEM instructors during a ten year period, who will teach science, technology, engineering and math.

I fully support the position taken by our president. I believe that our institutions of higher learning must get involved in the efforts to train and graduate more STEM educators, and help us to locate those 100,000 teachers that the president has requested.

Parents of young people play a critical role as their children are taught STEM related disciplines. At home, students must receive encouragement that they can be successful studying courses that some students perceive as too difficult and boring.

Our students must be taught that everything in life that brings rewards will necessitate hard work and discipline. The journey that they embark upon will not be easy in the beginning, but it will bear much fruit in their futures.

In addition to federal efforts, a number of states are promoting STEM education to ensure that they have work forces that are capable of meeting the challenges of our ever-changing technological environment.