NABWIC NATIONAL STEM EDUCATION INITIATIVE
NABWIC’s vision for STEM Education is to be an integral part of the critical
National STEM Initiative, to support and inspire generations of learners to meet the
challenges of the global society through innovation, collaboration, and creative
problem solving.
STEM is an acronym considered by most educators to be first coined by Judith A.
Ramaley, the former Director of the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Education
and Human Resources Division. This philosophical learning approach and teaching
methodology was proposed to bring innovation to a group of education-related
programs at the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the courses of mathematics
and science by integrating technology and engineering in the curriculum. Because
the NSF is the only American Federal Agency with a mission that includes support of
all fields of fundamental science and engineering, except medical science, it is no
wonder that such a classification …science, technology, engineering and
mathematics…, STEM was developed at the Foundation.
The NSF never gave the acronym, STEM, an exact definition. Thus, what is included
in the purview of STEM Education and what is excluded is a description that varies
from organization to organization. Although there is no universal definition for
STEM, the acronym for STEM…science, technology, engineering and
mathematics…is recognized as universally accurate.
The lack of a precise definition for STEM Education has given rise to explanations
that tend to overlay the mission and vision of the organizations or groups having
the conversation. For example,
NSF: National Science Board—PREPARING THE NEXT GENERATION OF STEM
INNOVATORS: Identifying and Developing our Nation’s Human Capital. This report
defines three major areas of essential focus for STEM Education:

Establish and identify more highly effective policies and practices that provide
opportunities for STEM innovators to excel. Sustain and coordinate proactive
formal and informal interventions to enable our most talented STEM human
capital of tomorrow succeed in their individual development and become our
future STEM leaders

Cast a broad network to identify a wide spectrum of potential talent to nurture
and inspire in the STEM disciplines. Critical to include in the STEM strategy a
commitment to equity and diversity for all demographic and socio-economic
groups in our Nation

Foster a supportive learning environment that is infused with high expectations,
celebrates excellence, encourages creativity and innovative thinking and nurtures
and rewards the successes of all students irrespective of ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status or geography
California State Department of Education - STEM Education is a sequence of
courses or program of study that prepares students, including underrepresented
groups:

for successful employment, post-secondary education or both that require
different and more technical, sophisticated skills including the application of
science, technological skills, engineering concepts and mathematics.

to be competent, capable citizens in our technological-dependent, democratic
society
New York State STEM Education Collaborative
STEM Education refers to utilizing the NYS MST Standards in the teaching and
learning of the Science, Technology Education, Engineering and Math (STEM)
disciplines, in an innovative, integrated, collaborative, and applied fashion to a level
of challenge sufficient for college and/or career readiness. (Developed in part from
the National STEM Initiative)
National Science Teachers Association (NSTA)
STEM education is an interdisciplinary approach to learning where rigorous academic
concepts are coupled with real-world lessons as students apply science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics in contexts that make connections between school,
community, work, and the global enterprise enabling the development of STEM
literacy and with it the ability to compete in the new economy. (Tsupro,2009)-Jonathan Gerlach, an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator on leave from a Florida
public school, working on Federal Education Policy on Capitol Hill
Firstly, what is consistent in the context of the various explanations is the success
of this National STEM Education Initiative is a critical need for our Country to
produce a pipeline of skilled workers required for the STEM occupations of the 21st
century and for America to remain secure and globally competitive;
Secondly, STEM Education requires high-impact policies and practices that provide
learning environments for STEM students to excel and to create and sustain
interventions that enable innovators to achieve success;
Thirdly, STEM Education must provide our Country with various kinds of intellectual
capital:



scientists and engineers
technologically proficient employees and entrepreneurs
literate voters and citizens;
Fourthly, STEM Education must encompass a wide network throughout communities
that are demographically and geographically diverse and comprise talented
populations that are diverse in race, gender, socio-economic status and
underrepresented groups;
Fifthly, STEM Education must embrace a culture of excellence and high
expectations. STEM Education nurtures innovation, creative thinking, problemsolving and rewards success;
Sixthly, the STEM Education four core disciplines…science, technology, engineering
and mathematics…must be integrated in a learning environment and are critical to
the development of our Nation’s technological innovations and leaders today and in
the future; and
Lastly, STEM Education must encourage the development of literate, thinking,
skilled citizens that can contribute to the orderly governance, stability and economic
development of governments, societies and communities.
STEM Education in the Federal Government and its strategic alliances will be
discussed in a forthcoming NABWIC newsletter.
NABWIC is in the final planning stages of the strategy for its STEM Education
Initiative. More information will be available soon.