The Hill – Joe Courtney
“In the wake of the shocking news that the Soviet Union had launched Sputnik, the world’s first space satellite, in 1958, President Eisenhower signed the National Defense Education Act into law. This established a national policy to promote science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) in America’s schools and colleges. Ike underscored the necessity of a national response, explaining that the law “would do much to strengthen our American system of education so that it can meet the broad and increasing demands imposed on it by consideration of national security.” Fifty-seven years later, Ike’s words still ring true. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, STEM occupations grew at three times the pace of non-STEM jobs from 2004 to 2012, a pace that is expected to continue over the next decade. At the same time, China produces 23 percent of the world’s STEM graduates while the U.S produces only 10 percent. The STEM Education Coalition, boasting a diverse group of employers — including Microsoft, the National Association of Manufacturers, and the American Farm Bureau — and STEM educators — including the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics — are promoting STEM’s critical role to meet the growing demands of the U.S. workforce.”(more)