STEM EDUCATION
(Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)

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President Obama has launched an “Educate to Innovate” campaign to improve the participation and performance of America’s students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This campaign will include efforts not only from the Federal Government but also from leading companies, foundations, non-profits, and science and engineering societies to work with young people across America to excel in science and math. As part of the campaign, this Administration hopes to do a series of events, announcements and other activities that build upon the President’s “call to action” and address the key components of national priority.

PURPOSE

The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields are collectively considered core technological underpinnings of an advanced society, according to both the National Research Council and the National Science Foundation. In many forums (including political/governmental and academic) the strength of the STEM workforce is viewed as an indicator of a nation's ability to sustain itself. Maintaining a citizenry that is well versed in the STEM fields is a key portion of the public education agenda of the United States of America. Substantial lobbying is underway in Washington, DC to raise awareness of STEM education issues.

In the State of the Union Address on January 31, 2006, United States President George W. Bush announced the American Competitiveness Initiative. Bush proposed the initiative to address shortfalls in federal government support of educational development and progress at all academic levels in the STEM fields . In detail, the initiative called for significant increases in federal funding for advanced R&D programs (including a doubling of federal funding support for advanced research in the physical sciences through DOE) and an increase in U.S. higher education graduates within STEM disciplines.

OBJECTIVES

In 2006, the United States National Academies expressed their concern about the declining state of STEM education in the United States. Its Committee on Science, Engineering and Public Policy developed a list of 10 actions federal policy makers could take to advance stem education in the United States to compete successfully in the 21st century. Their top three recommendations were to:

• Increase America's talent pool by improving K-12 science and mathematics education.*
• Strengthen the skills of teachers through additional training in science, math and technology.*
• Enlarge the pipeline of students prepared to enter college and graduate with stem degrees.

The American Competitiveness Initiative committed over $380 million in education funding and $5.9 billion overall in FY 2007 —and more than $136 billion over the next 10 years.