How to Prepare K-12 Scholars for Future STEM Careers

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics – or STEM as it is commonly called, covers all the subjects that fall under these four academic disciplines.

It’s a well-documented fact that American students tend to fare poorly in science and math tests when compared to students from other developed nations, despite knowing how exceptionally well jobs in these fields pay.

Those who graduate from college with a degree in any of the four STEM disciplines earn significantly more than those who graduate with other degrees. Moreover, the job opportunities in STEM are considerably more than in other fields, with massive room for growth as well.

Now that we’ve established how important a STEM career could be in the long run, it’s time to identify ways through which K-12 students can be prepared for them.

Skills needed for a successful career in STEM

For your child to be prepared for a successful career in a STEM discipline, they must know how to connect arithmetic, geometric, and algebraic thinking. They must know how to solve one problem in different ways, while strengthening their ability to not only solve problems and equations, but also their ability to reason, create, and collaborate with others. A strong technical foundation is pre-requisite for a STEM career. Your child must be adept at fractions, decimals, percentages, scientific notations, et al. Understanding STEM Fluency and STEM Literacy can go a long way towards improving your child’s STEM skills and propelling them towards a successful STEM career.

Developing interest at an early age

Most children tend to get bored with STEM subjects and with good reason. They would rather run around and have a laugh than get technical with things they don’t fully understand. It is therefore your responsibility as a parent to help them develop an interest in STEM subjects at an early age. Introducing them to professionals who work in these fields and getting them to share their success stories with children could help develop an interest. They need to know of the benefits they could have as adults if they focus on STEM subjects in school. Watching and hearing from people who have succeeded will help them gain the confidence needed to take on STEM subjects.

Hands-on learning

One of the best ways to help your child fall in love with STEM subjects is to introduce them to hands-on learning. Allowing them to conduct experiments, build machines and robots, or even go on field trips related to STEM can increase their desire to do well in these subjects. It also helps to give them a practical education where they can apply what they have learnt rather than just learning in theory as it can make STEM a more interesting field for them.

Rigorous STEM training

K-12 education doesn’t possess the rigor needed for students to keep up with STEM subjects. Children who don’t undertake STEM courses during their K-12 education find it hard to face the challenge of STEM courses in college. Many drop out after a year or so because of how underprepared they are for the course. Exposing your child to rigorous STEM topics in their childhood can go a long way towards an easier college life.

Consider online summer programs

A science or math online summer program for elementary students can be a great start for your child’s future STEM prospects. Through these courses, your child will gain exposure to the various concepts and topics that they either didn’t learn in school, or didn’t bother about previously. A personalized one-to-one live tutoring course can ensure that your child not only gains technical knowledge, but is also aware of its practical uses in daily life. Enrolling them into such programs every summer will not only brush up their learnings from school, but will also make them proficient at these subjects, thereby opening the door to a world full of attractive possibilities and job opportunities when they graduate.

Since STEM careers are lucrative, to say the least, they require a lot of commitment and dedication. Even if your child doesn’t seem too keen on these subjects just yet, learning about the good it can do them in the future can help unlock their interest and benefit them in the long run.