Friday, November 8th is National STEM/STEAM Day!
Where did STEM come from?
The STEM acronym was introduced in 2001 by administrators at the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). The organization previously used the acronym SMET when referring to career fields or curriculum in Science, Technology, Engineering or Math. In 2001, however, American biologist, Judith Ramaley, then assistant director of education and human resources at NSF, rearranged the words to form the STEM acronym.
Why should we invest time and money into STEM for our children and students?
STEM will play a huge role in their future! The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts overall employment in the economy to grow by 7.4% between 2016 and 2026, while jobs in STEM fields are expected to grow by 10.8%. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, college-educated STEM job holders earn between 29% and 39% more per hour than non-STEM employees with equivalent educational attainment.