This week, the Senate advanced legislation that would establish a statewide program designed to promote careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). House Bill 248 is modeled after similar programs in Tennessee and Arkansas that have helped promote the importance of the STEM fields to young people.
The bill would require the state Department of Economic Development to establish the STEM Career Awareness Program to increase awareness of careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics for students in grades six through eight. The program would involve online-based curriculum that would raise awareness of more than 80 different careers and technologies, and would be organized around the concept of solving societal or human-centered problems. The program will use game-based elements to encourage interaction and competition with students and teams, including online leaderboards. The program rewards students in the game format for their ability to demonstrate the math and language skills in the contexts of the STEM careers and technologies.
To further aide teachers and school counselors, the program automatically produces reports for individual students and classes, including analysis of performance against individual math and language skills objectives. The bill would require the department to have the program in place by the 2018-19 school year, if funding is available.
In today’s society it is critical to promote the importance of STEM careers in order to support the economies of Missouri and the nation. It seems as though a lack of awareness of STEM careers and the field in general is what is keeping many young people from pursuing a future in these areas. By giving students increased exposure to these careers, the state can better prepare the next generation of Missourians to succeed in the fastest growing job sector.
As always, I appreciate it when groups from around Missouri and from our community back home come to visit me at the Capitol. If you would like to arrange a time to come and visit me in Jefferson City, or if you ever have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact my Capitol office at (573) 751-1882.