STEAM Project
STEAM Project
Duration: Ongoing
Outcome: Development of critical thinking skills and other skills applicable to every career
It is obvious that the Arts should be included in STEM education. We are confident that the STEAM program will brings out the skills of creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and communication that are so important in the work place. And the earlier students are exposed to the STEAM disciplines, the better. Art is about discovering and creating ingenious ways of problem-solving, integrating principles and presenting information. By adding the elements of art to STEM based thinking; educators believe that students can use both sides of their brain—analytical and creative— to develop the best thinkers of tomorrow.
The “A” in STEAM represents liberal arts, language arts, social studies, physical arts, fine arts, and music. STEAM education is about applying creative thinking to STEM projects, igniting students’ imagination and creativity through the arts. It also exploring where art naturally fits into the STEM subjects: Studying art subjects contribute to the development of essential skills like collaboration, communication, problem-solving, and critical thinking. It also enhances a student’s flexibility, adaptability, productivity, responsibility, and innovation. All of these skills are required for a successful career in any field of study.
There also appears to be a very wide gap in the male to female ratio when it comes to those employed in STEM fields. Getting more girls and women interested in STEAM disciplines is another area in which we are addressing.
Educating students in STEM subjects prepares them for life, regardless of the profession they choose to follow. Women and minorities have traditionally been under-represented in such science and technology-oriented disciplines such as engineering, mathematics, data science, STEM and STEAM. We are actively trying to address this inequity. Even for youths who don’t choose a career in one of the STEM/STEAM fields, the skills they gain from a STEAM education can be translated into almost any career.
ARTS
Many of us enjoy the Arts – music, theater, paintings, and other visual arts. They can make our world seem more beautiful and bring us joy and new perspective. But did you know that the Arts can have a big impact on youth development?
Research shows that exposure to the Arts can help youth to develop many positive skills and capacities that are valued by leaders and employers, such as persistence, collaboration, creative thinking, problem solving, motivation, and problem solving. In addition, studies demonstrate that Arts exposure can improve a youth confidence and academic performance.
That said, many Arts programs in schools are the first to be cut when budgets get tight. For obvious reasons, when a school is facing financial problems, the school chooses math, science, history, and English lessons over music, drawing, or theater. The problem is that schools facing these types of difficult decisions are usually those that serve children of low socio-economic status. Schools with under-served and at-risk youth may have the least resources to provide quality art programs, yet studies show that these youth are the most likely to benefit.
Research Points to Benefits of Arts Education for At-Risk Youth
A 2012 study shows that teenagers and young adults of low socio-economic status, who are involved in arts activities, have better academic results, higher career goals, and better work opportunities. The study, The Arts and Achievement in At-Risk Youth: Findings from Four Longitudinal Studies, was published in a report by the US National Endowment for the Arts. Among the study’s key findings:
- Better academic outcomes — Teenagers and young adults of low socioeconomic status who have a history of in-depth arts involvement show better academic outcomes than those with less arts involvement. They earn better grades and have higher rates of college enrollment and attainment.
- Higher career goals – Students with in-depth arts involvement have markedly higher career aspirations than youth without arts backgrounds. Half of all low socio-economic status youth with high levels of involvement in arts expected to work in a professional career such as law, medicine, education, or management, compared to 21 percent of those with little arts involvement.
- More civically engaged – Young adults who had intensive arts experiences in high school are more likely to show civic-minded behavior than young adults who did not, with comparatively high levels of volunteering, voting, and engagement with local or school politics.