Coalition Hosts Briefing on Engaging Middle and High School Students in Science & Engineering

On Wednesday, November 28, the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Education Coalition hosted STEM industry experts and STEM education policy experts for a briefing to discuss the findings and implications of a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, “New Approaches to Engaging Middle and High School Students in Science and Engineering.” Panelists outlined how research suggests that teaching students by encouraging them to ask questions and research those questions more effectively teaches them the skills needed to succeed in college and in the workforce than simply memorizing facts. Panelists also discussed educational inequity and a lack of diversity in the STEM field. They offered solutions to some of these problems, such as mentorship programs for underrepresented students in STEM fields and online laboratories for students in rural schools. One especially notable solution mentioned was that schools implement the kind of modern, culturally relevant learning discussed in the report because it would allow students to see the relevancy of STEM in their own lives and in their communities. The full report can be found here.

(right to left) Moira Lenehan (Sen. Jack Reed); Jim Short (Carnegie Corporation); Scott Heimlich (Amgen); James Brown (STEM Education Coalition); Kerry Brenner (National Academies, report co-author); Heidi Schweingruber (National Academies, report co-author); Bruce Wellman (Olathe Northwest High School, KS); Erin Furtak (University of Colorado); Kathleen Martinez (BP)

Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship (AEF) Program Fellows