The Huffington Post – Jennifer Peck
“We know that workforces in STEM-related occupations are projected to grow at rates as much as double those in non-STEM fields, and that anticipated lifetime earnings are nearly 20% higher for holders of STEM degrees when compared to their non-STEM counterparts…we know that the elementary and middle school years represent the prime opportunity zone to ensure that all Californians are on a path toward STEM achievement…The California Department of Education is working to build an intentional connection between STEM in the classroom and STEM in after school and summer programs…In the Summer Science Project, setting STEM learning in the context of summer programs helped to provide an atmosphere in which students felt free to critically reflect on their own learning, engage in hands-on trial and error, and build collaborative approaches to inquiry: all key components of successful science education.”(more)