STEM fields

STEM fields is a US Government acronym for the fields of study in the categories of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The acronym is in use regarding access to work visas for immigrants who are skilled in these fields.^[1] Maintaining a citizenry that is well versed in the STEM fields is a key portion of the public education agenda of the United States. Substantial lobbying is underway in Washington, DC to raise awareness of STEM education issues.

Examples

An exhaustive list of STEM disciplines does not exist, but the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement lists disciplines including:^[2]

• Physics
• Accounting
• Actuarial Science
• Chemistry
• Mathematics
• Computer Science
• Biochemistry
• Robotics
• Computer Engineering
• Electrical Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Civil Engineering
• Aerospace Engineering
• Chemical Engineering
• Astrophysics
• Astronomy
• Nanotechnology
• Nuclear Physics
• Mathematical Biology
• Operations Research
• Neurobiology
• Biomechanics
• Bioinformatics
• Acoustical Engineering
• Geographic Information Systems
• Atmospheric Sciences

The National Science Foundation is the only American federal agency whose mission includes support for all fields of fundamental science and engineering, except for medical sciences.^[3] It lists its disciplinary program areas as:

• Biological Sciences
• Computer & Information Science & Engineering
• Education and Human Resources
• Engineering
• Environmental Research & Education
• Geosciences
• International Science & Engineering
• Mathematical & Physical Sciences
• Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences
• Cyberinfrastructure
• Polar Programs

The Department of Labor identifies fourteen sectors that are "projected to add substantial numbers of new jobs to the economy or affect the growth of other industries or are being transformed by technology and innovation requiring new sets of skills for workers."^[4]

• Advanced Manufacturing
• Automotive
• Construction
• Financial Services
• Geospatial Technology
• Homeland Security
• Information Technology
• Transportation
• Aerospace
• Biotechnology
• Energy
• Healthcare
• Hospitality
• Retail

The Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes a Occupational Outlook Handbook. STEM fields careers are some of the best-paying and have the greatest potential for job growth in the early 21st century.^{[citation needed]}

Related groups and legislation

American Competitiveness Initiative

In the State of the Union Address on January 31, 2006, United States President George W. Bush announced the American Competitiveness Initiative. Bush proposed the initiative to address shortfalls in federal government support of educational development and progress at all academic levels in the STEM fields. In detail, the initiative called for significant increases in federal funding for advanced R&D programs (including a doubling of federal funding support for advanced research in the physical sciences through DOE) and an increase in U.S. higher education graduates within STEM disciplines.

In 2006, the United States National Academies expressed their concern about the declining state of STEM education in the United States. Its Committee on Science, Engineering and Public Policy developed a list of 10 actions federal policy makers could take to advance STEM education in the United States to compete successfully in the 21st century. Their top three recommendations were to:

• increase America’s talent pool by improving K-12 science and mathematics education;
• strengthen the skills of teachers through additional training in science, math and technology; and
• enlarge the pipeline of students prepared to enter college and graduate with STEM degrees.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration also has implemented programs and curricula to advance STEM education in order to replenish the pool of scientists, engineers and mathematicians who will lead space exploration in the 21st century.

The NASA Means Business competition, sponsored by the Texas Space Grant Consortium, furthers that goal. College students compete to develop promotional plans to encourage students in middle and high school to study STEM subjects and to inspire professors in STEM fields to involve their students in outreach activities that support STEM education.

The National Science Foundation has numerous programs in STEM education, including some for K-12 students such as the ITEST Program that supports The Global Challenge Award ITEST Program. STEM programs have been implemented in some Arizona schools. They implement higher cognitive skills for students and enable them to inquire and use techniques used by professionals in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematical fields.

The STEM Education Coalition

"The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Coalition ^[5][6] works to support STEM programs for teachers and students at the U. S. Department of Education, the National Science Foundation, and other agencies that offer STEM related programs." A list of organizations that are part of the STEM Coalition can be found on its homepage. Activity of the STEM Coalition seems to have slowed since September, 2009.

America COMPETES Act of 2007

The America COMPETES Act (P.L. 110-69) became law on August 9, 2007. The act responds to concerns that the United States may not be able to compete economically with other nations in the future due to insufficient investment today in science and technology research and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education and workforce development. The America COMPETES Act is intended to increase the nations investment in science and engineering research and in STEM education from kindergarten to graduate school and postdoctoral education.

The act authorizes funding increases for the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) laboratories, and the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science over FY2008-FY2010.

Measures

Robert Gabrys, Director of Education at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, articulated success as increased student achievement, early expression of student interest in STEM subjects, and student preparedness to enter the workforce.

See also

• Hard and soft science
• NASA RealWorld-InWorld Engineering Design Challenge
• Pre-STEM
• Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Network
• STEM Academy
• NASA Pre-Service Teacher Institute

References

1. ^ Kakutani, Michiko (November 7, 2011). "Bill Clinton Lays Out His Prescription for America’s Future". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/08/books/back-to-work-has-bill-clintons-ideas-for-america-review.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1. 
2. ^ U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement STEM Designated Degree Programs
3. ^ The National Science Foundation What We Do
4. ^ U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration by Jobs for the Future. The STEM Workforce Challenge: the Role of the Public Workforce System in a National Solution for a Competitive Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Workforce (PDF) April 2007.
5. ^ The STEM Coalition
6. ^ Bybee, R. W. (2010). "What is STEM Education?". Science 329 (5995): 996–996. Bibcode 2010Sci...329..996B. doi:10.1126/science.1194998. PMID 20798284.  edit

Further reading

• STEM Career - For Those Seeking and Promoting STEM Careers
• STEM Coalition Argues for Federal Support of STEM Education Programs (August 25, 2005)
• STEM Coalition Statement To House & Senate Appriopriators In Support Of STEM Education And NSF Education (May 24, 2005)
• ASME: Position Statements and Model Bill on K-12 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
• Panel on Educating the Knowledge Workforce: Graduate Education and American Competitiveness by Claudia Mitchell-Kernan (March 9, 2005)
• Association for Career and Technical Education articles on STEM education
• [NC State's Chancellor] Oblinger Joins New National Coalition To Attract STEM Students
• House Higher Education Bill Would Promote STEM Careers (American Institute of Physics, August 29, 2005)
• In August 2008 Sir sabrina commented on the lack of STEM and engineering students in the UK in an interview with The Telegraph.

External links

• STEM Education STEM Education Blog - Blog, Resources, Articles, Interviews
• STEM Education Coalition Website
• On Diversity: Standing Our Ground: A Guidebook for STEM Educators in the Post-Michigan Era (AAAS, October 2005)
• On Diversity: Increasing Doctoral Participation of Underrepresented Minorities in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Fields by Scott A. Bass, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
• On Women in STEM Fields: Mary Kirk's book (2009). Gender and Information Technology: Moving Beyond Access to Co-Create Global Partnership. Hershey, PA: IGI Global. ISBN 978-1-59904-786-7
• On Women in STEM Fields: "The Gender Chip Project" A documentary by Helen De Michiel*On Sir James Dyson's article on STEM students in The Telegraph
• Game-based STEM learning The Global Challenge
• The COMETS Initiative: (Career-Oriented Mathematics, Engineering, Technology and Science) The COMETS Initiative
• Sloan Career Cornerstone Center: Sloan Career Cornerstone Center Provides in-depth career information for over 190 fields in STEMM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine).
• STEM Careers: STEMCareer.com - Provides a wide variety of information on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) for students, counselors, and teachers.
• Encourage students to enter STEM fields: STEMout
• STEM2Stern: stem2stern.org - US Navy's Program to promote STEM careers.