STEM is an emerging focus in the United States because four of the five fastest growing industries require their employees to master these skills, but current students are unable to achieve the desired skill level. Our students are struggling when compared to the world: US ranks 24th in mathematics and 17th in science. Another issue that comes into play is gender and race: even though women and students of color represent three-quarters of all students in college, STEM accounts for less than half the awarded degrees. Furthermore, STEM careers are growing at a far faster rate than non-STEM careers. STEM-focused students are less likely to experience unemployment and make 26% higher wages than their non-STEM counterparts. Our solution is to trigger interest though internships, college instruction during high school, learning involving completion of interdisciplinary projects, and hire more STEM-focused teachers.
STEM
