Make K-12 Count
What Is the STEAM Teach-In?
The STEAM Teach-In is a celebration of learning where high school students across America develop hands-on lessons in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math – the subjects that comprise a STEAM education – and teach those lessons to their elementary-school peers.
The STEAM Teach-In empowers high school students to cement their knowledge of these critical subjects by creating lessons and teaching them to elementary school students. These younger students, in turn, are introduced to STEAM subjects by “the big kids” at an age when they can be engaged, inspired and motivated to learn more. And the accompanying earned and social media campaigns spark a larger community discussion about the need for STEAM education in K-12 classrooms to address a host of societal challenges, including a lack of diversity in STEAM fields, looming workforce shortages, and the growing struggle to compete globally in a world facing increasingly complex challenges.
STEAM Teach-In Benefits
Inspiring the Next Generation
Introducing STEAM subjects to elementary students in an engaging and interactive way can lead to a lifelong interest in these fields and give students a leg up in pursuing rewarding careers solving tomorrow’s complex challenges. And by reaching children at the elementary level, the STEAM Teach-In can inspire girls and children in underserved communities to explore STEAM careers at a young age – which will help mitigate the current gender gap and lack of diversity in these fields.
Building the STEAM Workforce of Tomorrow
Over the next decade, growth in STEAM-related occupations in the U.S. will grow twice as fast as non-STEAM occupations. Yet millions of those jobs are at risk of going unfilled due to a steady decline in STEAM proficiency. Getting students excited about STEAM subjects at an early age will help raise the next generation’s overall technological proficiency while inspiring future innovators from every community in America to pursue STEAM-related careers.
Improving America’s Global Competitiveness
For most of the 20th century, the United States led the world in science, technology, engineering and math. But years of decline in STEAM education has chipped away at our technological leadership, threatening our global competitiveness and national security. To regain our leadership in science, math and technological innovation, we need to inspire and educate the next generation of STEAM professionals. And the STEAM Teach-In is a fun, exciting and effective way to start.
