Inspire Kids To Study STEM With These Educational Resources

Careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are on the rise around the world. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, STEM careers were expected to grow by nearly 9 percent between 2017 and 2029. The Economic Times reported that India experienced a 44 percent increase in STEM jobs from 2016 to 2019. The Danish Technological Institute estimated that the European STEM labor market would grow by 12.1 percent from 2013 to 2025.

It is crucial to teach preuniversity students about the potential of STEM careers through outreach programs. To help increase the number of qualified professionals, IEEE has created the IEEE Pre-University Volunteer STEM Portal.

Initially developed for IEEE volunteers, the portal serves as a resource for teachers, parents, and anyone interested in STEM outreach. It provides educational tools and can help with creating programs, elevating existing ones, and much more. The portal also contains best practices, as well as programs and events from IEEE’s global community of volunteers.

Since the portal’s launch in January, more than 1,200 volunteers around the world have shared information about the 100-plus outreach events they have held. The events have collectively impacted more than 9,300 students, nearly 1,230 parents and about 560 teachers.

Here are some of the resources and features available.

Outreach programs

These can be adapted for local communities.

• Camp experiences. Sign students up for camp to unlock the fun in STEM.
• Competitions and fairs. Learn about events that teach students how to conduct research, conceptualize a design, and build and test their devices.
• Girls in STEM. These programs provide an understanding of the opportunities that exist for women.
• Mentoring. Share personal stories with students to ignite their interest.
• Teacher workshops. These are designed to assist educators in understanding how to best teach STEM topics.
• Industry and company tours. Meet and speak with professionals in their workplace to learn about their jobs and the technologies they use.
• Career days. These events offer students a chance to learn about STEM fields directly from engineering and technical professionals.
• Parent program. Activities designed to introduce parents to STEM topics.

STEM SUMMIT

The first IEEE STEM Summit is scheduled for 1 to 6 November. The event is meant to help those interested in STEM outreach meet and hear from like-minded individuals. Attendees can learn about topics such as education through IEEE resources, and using data to tell the story of your STEM program’s impact.

Register now.

Source: spectrum