Expanding Children’s Horizons

Every kindergartener possesses the skills needed to solve 21st century problems—skills like critical thinking, creativity, curiosity, collaboration.

But by the time these kids reach middle school, most of those innate problem-solving skills will be replaced with the rote 20th century tactics needed to get into college—conformity, memorization and test-taking ability.

Dreams of becoming fire fighters, game developers, builders and race car drivers will be replaced by nightmares of failing a test.

Those not deemed “college material” will struggle just to graduate from high school. Some won’t make it that far.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

The STEAM Teach-In nurtures youthful career passions and natural skills by showing young students that—with the help of high school courses they otherwise might have overlooked—the dreams and talents they have today can lead to exciting and rewarding careers tomorrow.

The STEAM Teach-In is a celebration of skills and knowledge where high school students across America develop hands-on lessons in the STEAM and CTE courses they are taking – and teach those lessons to their elementary-school peers.

The STEAM Teach-In empowers high school students to cement their mastery of these critical subjects by creating lessons and teaching them to elementary school students. These younger students, in turn, are introduced to STEAM and CTE concepts by “the big kids” at an age when they can be engaged, inspired and motivated to learn more.

The STEAM Teach-In breaks down the barriers between “college track” scholastics and Career and Technical Education (CTE) by showing young students that STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) and CTE are two sides of the same coin—they both prepare students for future careers by coupling hands-on, real-world learning experiences with rigorous academic concepts.

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Inspiring the Next Generation

Introducing STEAM and CTE 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 and skilled-trades 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. Meanwhile, millions of skilled trades jobs are at risk of going unfilled because the number of people retiring far outpaces the number of students concentrating in CTE. Getting students excited about STEAM and CTE at an early age will help raise the next generation’s overall skills and technological proficiency while inspiring future innovators from every community in America to pursue careers in fields like in construction, manufacturing, computer technology and engineering.

Improving America’s Global Competitiveness

For most of the 20th century, the United States led the world in science, technology, engineering, math and the skilled trades. But years of decline in STEAM and CTE education has chipped away at our technological and skilled workforce leadership, threatening our global competitiveness and national security. To regain our leadership position, we need to inspire and educate the next generation of STEAM and skilled trades professionals. And the STEAM Teach-In is a fun, exciting and effective way to start.