Cathryn Ilani on STEAM Education in Elgin

You may have heard of the term STEM education, which is a basis of education that focuses on science, technology, engineering, and math. The increase in the use and development of technology and internet applications has made these areas of study have become a necessity for students. Although these areas are vital subjects to teach students nowadays, there is often a missing component. STEAM education is all the topics of STEM but with the addition of the arts. Across the country, state, and in Elgin, the integration of a STEAM curriculum has begun to increase for students. More schools are beginning to research and implement the focus on STEAM, even in Elgin. Here are some reasons why STEAM is an important improvement to the curriculum taught to today's youth.

The Arts

The addition of the arts was a strategic choice because of the current and future job market. With the increase of automation and technology being able to complete small technical tasks, there will be less of a need for basic coders or programmers. People will need to have creative problem-solving skills that can't be completed by a computer. An education based in the arts can help prepare students for a prospective workforce.

Integration of Ideas

The fundamentals of STEAM are curiosity, critical thinking, and process-based learning; each of these categories is essential to learning about every topic. A career in technology will come with a need for excellent problem-solving and tech-based skills for innovation. While these principles of STEAM are great for a science or tech-based curriculum, STEAM education is not limited to those five specific areas of study. The main points of STEAM education can be used when teaching courses in humanities, such as social studies an English to further understand each subject.

How it Helps Children in Elgin

Teachers now are preparing their students for jobs that currently don't exist in today's job market. A traditional education not based on STEAM may not be the best to prepare children for the tech-focused world of the future. Elgin schools and teachers are beginning to offer STEAM curriculums. Jobs in STEM are expected to grow 9 percent by 2027 in the state of Illinois and 13 percent nationally. The Einstein Academy, located right here in Elgin, provides its students with a well-rounded curriculum to prepare each student for the future.