Why Does STEM Matter?

Kids want to know how things work. From the moment they're born, they're constantly exploring the world around them. Like the scientists they are, they're seeking answers. What's that? Why? How? A toddler drops a toy, observing the effects of gravity as it falls to the ground. A preschooler carefully dissects the parts of a daisy. For kids, life is one, grand scientific process. Hypotheses are proposed. Experiments conducted. Data gathered and questions answered. Kids are natural scientists and STEM speaks to their innate curiosity.

That's why we work with that innate curiosity to encourage the next generation of innovators to keep exploring! Keep asking questions. Keep learning! Science, technology, engineering and math skills allow us to solve problems in the real world. They help us understand the world around us. With STEM skills, we can build things stronger, faster and better. We can find answers to some of the world's most challenging questions. We can innovate real solutions.

Those skills translate to real-world jobs, too. STEM workers are constantly generating new ideas. Those ideas birth new companies and new industries. According to the US Department of Commerce, growth in STEM-related jobs consistently outpaces growth in other industries (http://www.esa.doc.gov/reports/stem-good-jobs-now-and-future). STEM workers earn more money and are less likely to experience joblessness.

And STEM can be fun! What's more exciting than watching a robot you programmed march across the floor and complete its task? Or building your own remote controlled racecar? By embracing that natural curiosity and giving kids hands-on, real-world experience in STEM applications, we're helping them build confidence and real-world skills. Where they take those skills, we can only imagine!