Full STEAM Ahead

"...Leadership tomorrow depends on how we educate our students today – especially in science, technology, engineering and math." 
– Barack Obama

In November 2009, President Obama launched “Educate to Innovate,” a program designed to move American students from the middle tier to the top tier in global math and science achievement. One of the main components of the initiative was an emphasis on “STEM” (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) courses in school curriculums.

Recently, we have become aware of a related movement championed by the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), “STEAM,” which advocates for adding art to the national STEM agenda. At a briefing on Capitol Hill earlier this month, RISD interim president Rosanne Somerson stressed that the U.S. needs “an educational system that prepares students to manage change and uncertainty, and to thrive in ever-changing conditions. To meet the needs of industry and ensure that this country leads in knowledge creation and innovation, we need the kind of education that encourages fresh thinking, bold ideas and the ability to communicate and collaborate across disciplines.”

When it comes to the workplace, creativity should be welcomed rather than suppressed. In a constantly changing global economy, the ability to adapt and think critically are essential qualities for new hires. While the perception might still exist, to some degree, that large corporations seek robot-like personnel that can be “plugged-in” to their company scheme, the presence of representatives from Intel, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin at this month’s STEAM briefing suggests otherwise.

Undoubtedly, all employers interested in prevailing into the future will have to, at some time or another, embrace divergent thinking skills and creative expression as part of their company culture. While the importance of STEAM courses may not seem relevant to every business, their value will prove surprisingly essential and applicable in the long run.

Does your company value new ways of thinking and bold ideas? Do you believe innovative thinking to be critical in order to compete in a changing global economy?

Who Says Climate Change Is Real?

Who Says Climate Change Is Real?

The most authoritative word on climate change and its consequences is the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), an international body established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme.  Under the advocacy of the United Nations, the IPCC strives to inform policymakers about the impacts of climate change, future risks, and options for adaptation and mitigation.

The IPCC recently published its Fifth Assessment Report (AR5), Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. With contributions from a total of 837 coordinating lead authors and 1,729 reviews by experts and government officials, the latest report indicates that when it comes to climate change, the worst is yet to come. According to the AR5, “Throughout the 21^st century, climate-change impacts are projected to slow down economic growth, make poverty reduction more difficult, further erode food security, and prolong existing and create new poverty traps, the latter particularly in urban areas and emerging hot spots of hunger.”

Still, while greenhouse gas emissions are rising faster than ever, there is time, albeit little, to prevent the worst from arriving. With sustained global efforts to utilize renewable energy, which is becoming more and more affordable, and a continued pattern of countries prioritizing the effects of climate change, perhaps we can avert a potential crisis.

However, there cannot be any passengers. Gas emissions in rising economic countries such as China have been counterproductive to efforts by other nations to decrease their own gas emissions. A new White House report released this month confirms that the rapid warming of the past half-century is due primarily to human activities. We aren’t simply passengers when we harm our planet; so how can we be as we attempt to heal it? Are we being melodramatic, or are climate change and the human contribution to global warming alarming enough for us to act?