Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics

The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields are collectively considered core technological underpinnings of an advanced society. In many forums (including political/governmental and academic) the strength of the STEM workforce is viewed as an indicator of a nation's ability to sustain itself. Maintaining a citizenry that is well versed in the STEM fields is a key portion of the public education agenda of the United States of America. Substantial lobbying is underway in Washington, DC to raise awareness of STEM education issues.

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

Commentary and Position Papers

• Letter: 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)

Articles and Media Coverage

• Press Release: [NC State's Chancellor] Oblinger Joins New National Coalition To Attract STEM Students
• Bulletin (AIP): House Higher Education Bill Would Promote STEM Careers (American Institute of Physics, August 29, 2005)

Members of the STEM Education Coalition

"The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Coalition 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." [1]

Alliance for Science, Technology, and Research in America Acoustical Society of America American Association of Physicists in Medicine American Association of Physics Teachers American Astronomical Society American Chemical Society American Educational Research Association American Geological Institute American Geophysical Union American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics American Institute of Biological Sciences American Institute of Physics American Meteorological Society American Physical Society American Physiological Society American Society of Agronomy American Society of Civil Engineers American Society of Mechanical Engineers American Sociological Association ASEE Engineering Deans Council Association for Computing Machinery Association of Science-Technology Centers Association of State Supervisors of Mathematics Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) Center for Educational Outreach, Whiting School of Engineering, Johns Hopkins University Chabot Space & Science Center Concord Consortium Crop Science Society of America Delta Education

Ecological Society of America Education Development Center, Inc Engineers Without Borders—USA Exploratorium Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers-USA Institute of Food Technologists International Technology Education Association Johns Hopkins University Junior Engineering Technical Society (JETS) Lawrence Hall of Science, UC Berkeley Mathematical Association of America Michigan State University Museum of Science, Boston National Association of Biology Teachers National Council of Teachers of Mathematics National Education Knowledge Industry Association National Science Teachers Association Optical Society of America Project Lead the Way Society of Automotive Engineers Society of Women Engineers Soil Science Society of America SPIE-The International Society for Optical Engineering Technology Student Association TERC The Association of American Geographers The Federation of Behavioral, Psychological, & Cognitive Sciences Triangle Coalition

References and external links

• 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: "The Gender Chip Project" A documentary by Helen De Michiel
• Game-based STEM learning The Global Challenge and the wikipedia article The Global Challenge Award
• The COMETS Initiative: (Career-Oriented Mathematics, Engineering, Technology and Science) [2]