Spotlight on STEM

After writing my "ASCA Was Spicy" post and sharing my STEM presentation, I was delighted to be contacted by Marissa Zych, a student at Rochester Institute of Technology.  Marissa is working to increase awareness of nonprofit organizations that support STEM initiatives for younger students. I am so excited to have her guest post and share some information and resources with school counselors that we can use at our individual school levels!   

Enjoy and Happy Counseling! ~ Angela

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The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math subjects, most commonly known as  
STEM, have been the focus of many school districts and education initiatives in recent years. As the statistics surrounding STEM continue to grow more alarming, nonprofits and educators are working together to build a base that provides students the groundwork needed to succeed within these fields.

Currently, nineteen nations have high school students performing better in science than those within United States, and 36 percent of high school students within the US are not ready for college-level sciences. To further expand upon these discrepancies, 36 percent of students that declare a major within the STEM specialities do not obtain a degree within these fields, and only one-third of bachelor degrees obtained in the United States are within the STEM fields, compared to China (53%) and Japan (63%).

                                                                                                                                              
Though these statistics are startling, teachers and nonprofits alike are focused on creating resources to increase proficiency within these fields. Nonprofits nationwide provide much-needed complements to the regular school day activities and lessons. These programs have the ability to continue to expand upon the education that students obtain within school, providing resources and continued growth within specific subjects that would otherwise be unattainable. For many kids, they can even help provide the motivation to finish high school and find their passion for continuing education.

There are a multitude of nonprofits that build upon what is taught within the classroom and assist teachers. Based in Chicago, IL, STEM CampUS is a week-long immersion summer camp that brings together students interested STEM careers. Students are able to meet with Teza Technologies employees, and participate in a mentorship program with STEM professionals. This program is created by After-School All-Stars, whose mission is to provide comprehensive after-school programs that keep children safe and help them succeed in school and life. STEM CampUS was created with the support of Teza Technologies CEO Misha Malyshev, and this nonprofit is focused on providing an immersive high-school transition program, while also bringing together students interested in the STEM field together to experience and explore STEM careers.

Another nonprofit that assists students interested in the STEM field is AspireIT, a nonprofit founded by the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT). NCWIT uses a peer-to-peer model to educate young women in computing to help correct the imbalance of gender diversity in technology. This outreach program connects high school and college students with young students interested in learning the fundamentals in programming and computational thinking.  Check out their video below!

AspireIT Promo Spring 2014 from NCWIT on Vimeo.

Though the AspireIT program targets high school students, NCWIT also offers resources for K-12 education, such as e-Textiles-in-a-Box. This resource helps teach young students about electronics and computing, while also providing a fun activity.

There are a plethora of additional resources that aid teachers within the classroom. To educate students about what life is like for a girl within the STEM fields, look to Engineer Girl. This comprehensive website showcases why one should become an engineer, while also outlining specific skills and resources needed to work in these fields. Their current "Featured Interview" is on Kalyani Mallela, an electrical engineer at Starkey Hearing Technologies. In addition, NASA created a webpage that celebrates the women that work there. Women @ NASA provides personal stories and the path that these women took to get to NASA. All of these websites provide resources that can be used within the classroom to highlight STEM fields and the people within them, and allow students to learn about real-world application of these subjects.

Within the education field, nonprofits target a variety of subjects to allow for growth and advancement specifically within certain sectors. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math are a key target to many nonprofits. Utilizing the base that the education system constructs, nonprofits allow for continued education and provide advancements within specific fields. With these resources, one hopes that we can continue to increase the proficiency in science throughout the United States.

                                                                                           ~ Marissa
*Marissa can be reached at marrisazych866@gmail.com if you would like to contact her with any questions. Infographic above from teacherconvoy.com.
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