That was one of the key arguments that scholars and practitioners made recently as they critiqued the manner in which K-12 and higher education systems tend to deliver math and science education.
“There’s a whole another level of preparing people for mastery in those fields,” said Damon Jones, founder and executive director of STEAM America, a Maryland-based nonprofit that aims to get young people to explore STEM careers.
“My goal is to stimulate interest,” Jones said. “A lot of times youth do not know how exciting and how many opportunities there are in the STEM field.”
Jones, a former elementary and middle school teacher, said STEM education often lacks any creative elements. Hence, the reason he founded STEAM America—using an acronym that represents a variation on STEM. The “a” stands for the “arts,” an element of STEM education that Jones says is often absent.
“We need the creative coupled with our STEM fields,” Jones said.
Jones made his remarks at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Annual Legislative Caucus during a panel discussion titled “STEM Education and Employment for African Americans.”
