For questions and support around the current DEI landscape, email SWE. Have other questions about SWE’s programs, events, and resources? Try asking Enginuity!
STEM Students Require Support
Taken as a whole, this issue demonstrates that today’s students need assistance from all of us, in the form of encouragement, mentoring, individual attention, and resources.
A lot of uncertainty exists for students and teachers around the globe right now. That is the message to be gleaned from the many education-related features and columns in this issue of SWE Magazine.
From the global report referenced in A Closer Look at the Data, which concludes that precollege students worldwide are uncertain about their future careers, to three features and several columns that highlight tumultuous times for precollege students, precollege teachers, and collegians — the message is clear. The political climate, rapid technological advances, and an uncertain job market are changing the landscape of STEM education.
In her first article for SWE Magazine, contributor Amy Meadows reports on the latest State of the Science presentation by National Academy of Sciences President Marcia McNutt, Ph.D. Dr. McNutt announced in June that the U.S. is precariously close to a “pessimistic scenario,” in which it loses science talent and research dollars to other countries, especially China, loses its stature as a global leader in scientific research and development, and experiences an overall decline in the standard of living. That is a sobering assessment from an experienced leader of one of the most prestigious scientific institutions in the nation.
One of many solutions Dr. McNutt proposes is strengthening precollege education so that more students understand the scientific method, learn to think critically, and prepare for the jobs of the future. As contributor Meredith Holmes found when researching modern precollege STEM education for the feature “STEM Education for the Next Generation,” teachers face a host of challenges. The Trump administration’s funding cuts to public education — the legality and implementation of which are still open to question — have nevertheless delivered a “gut punch” to precollege educators, Holmes writes.
What would help?
New and universal standards and assessment methods, more professional development for STEM teachers, a culture of inclusion for all students, and, of course, increased teacher pay. Holmes’ follow-up feature, “Teachers: How Was Your Day?,” shows how teachers across the U.S. are using artificial intelligence, project-based learning, and the power of play to ensure young students remain open to the possibilities inherent in STEM subjects.
For U.S. college students, the problem isn’t their lack of commitment to STEM education and careers but rather threats to their campus groups. In the feature “Campus Challenges: Help Is on the Way,” SWE Communications Specialist Ruksana Hussain reports on the work the Society of Women Engineers is doing to assist collegiate members whose campus-supported SWE sections have been threatened or shut down entirely by the current administration’s executive orders and other headwinds. SWE established an advisory council to survey collegiate members, determine the help they need to stay active and connected, and recommend a slate of actions to the SWE Board of Directors.
SWE’s editorial working group is doing its part to support students as well, writing in this issue about how to stand out in an ocean of job applications, why being a nontraditional student is a good thing, how members can manage the transition from collegiate to professional membership, and the many educational opportunities available through SWE and the WE25 annual conference.
Taken as a whole, this issue demonstrates that today’s students need assistance from all of us, in the form of encouragement, mentoring, individual attention, and resources. SWE is committed to ensuring its educational offerings — to students and professionals at every level — help fulfill those needs.
