“Math and science are important. It’s not always clear why though. People say it’s hard… but it is something you have to work at,” Naomi Shah, the Intel Science Talent 2013 finalist and Best of Category Winner in Environmental Science at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair 2013, said in the video. While Shah’s statements are true, I think it holds more importance than it immediately offers.
A successful STEM education in the future generations is something that could not only advance the United States and our ranking against the world’s standards, but could advance the citizens of the U.S. morally as well. Science, Technology, Engineering and Math are extremely difficult subjects. The difficulty involved with learning these subjects, though, allow valuable life skills to be learned that may not have been otherwise. Skills such as perseverance, hope, critical thinking, problem-solving and many others. While STEM is advertised to be an initiative that will promote the U.S. and the STEM career workforce, it may be critical to consider the other reasons why STEM is important as well.