When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn stem ginger affiliate commission. STEM education, now also know as STEAM, is a multi-discipline approach to teaching. STEM education combines science, technology, engineering and math. STEAM education combines science, technology, engineering, the arts and math.

STEM education is a teaching approach that combines science, technology, engineering and math. Rather than teach the five disciplines as separate and discrete subjects, STEAM integrates them into a cohesive learning paradigm based on real-world applications. In an ever-changing, increasingly complex world, it’s more important than ever that our nation’s youth are prepared to bring knowledge and skills to solve problems, make sense of information, and know how to gather and evaluate evidence to make decisions. This campaign also addresses the inadequate number of teachers skilled to educate in these subjects. STEAM emphasis, STEAM grant selection programs and general programs that support STEAM education.

STEAM education is crucial to meet the needs of a changing world. STEAM jobs remain unfilled in the U. According to a report from the U. 2020 and 2030 compared to 7. Between 2014 and 2024, employment in computer occupations is projected to increase by 12. With projected increases in STEAM-related occupations, there needs to be an equal increase in STEAM education efforts to encourage students into these fields otherwise the skill gap will continue to grow. STEAM jobs do not all require higher education or even a college degree.

However, a four-year degree is incredibly helpful with salary — the average advertised starting salary for entry-level STEAM jobs with a bachelor’s requirement was 26 percent higher than jobs in the non-STEAM fields. For every job posting for a bachelor’s degree recipient in a non-STEAM field, there were 2. 5 entry-level job postings for a bachelor’s degree recipient in a STEAM field. What separates STEAM from traditional science and math education is the blended learning environment and showing students how the scientific method can be applied to everyday life. It teaches students computational thinking and focuses on the real-world applications of problem-solving.

Elementary school — STEAM education focuses on the introductory level STEAM courses, as well as awareness of the STEAM fields and occupations. This initial step provides standards-based structured inquiry-based and real-world problem-based learning, connecting all four of the STEAM subjects. The goal is to pique students’ interest into them wanting to pursue the courses, not because they have to. Middle school — At this stage, the courses become more rigorous and challenging. Student awareness of STEAM fields and occupations is still pursued, as well as the academic requirements of such fields. Student exploration of STEAM-related careers begins at this level, particularly for underrepresented populations.