Preparing Students for Future Careers with STEM Funding

On 15 March, the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee listened to a panel of witnesses discuss the role of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) funding in preparing students for 21st century careers. The hearing explored how funding from the Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services impact STEM education for in-school and out-of-school programs for grades K-12, training and internships for dislocated workers, and National Institutes of Health career fellowships. As Committee Chairman Roy Blunt (R-MO) noted, “providing students with high-quality education in STEM is critical for the economic competitiveness and security of our nation… STEM education, from preschool through college, provides the basic skills and competencies all students need, and prepares them for well-paying careers across education levels.” All four witnesses underscored the importance of sustained STEM funding in providing opportunities, hands-on training, and paid internships for low-income students and minority populations and dislocated workers. Funding is especially precarious for Title I schools, or schools with large populations of low-income families. As Mr. Larry Plank, Director of K-12 STEM education of Hillsborough County Public Schools highlighted, “prior to entering kindergarten, differences in experiences lead to deep gaps in skills among these children in numeracy and literacy skills...
Source: Public Policy Reports - Category: Biology Authors: Source Type: news