Although the number of corporations taking action to address the growing shortage of STEM) graduates, particularly in computing, some companies, such as SAS are asking themseleves a critical question: how can corporations provide schools with current information about STEM careers? What is the corporate role in priming the STEM “pump”? Here is a segment of a recent blog piece where Caroline McCullen of SAS addressed this question.
SAS took on this challenge recently by partnering with Reedy Creek Middle School to launch the first SAS STEM Career Day. By all accounts, this event stimulated interest in STEM, helped students think more broadly about their career goals and engaged students in activities that helped them see the relevance of what they do in school every day.
Before the event, students watched a video, The Choice is Yours. In the video, SAS computer programmers, engineers and statisticians enthusiastically describe their careers, reminisce about their favorite high school courses and talk about how their schooling prepared them for the work they do. The video generated rich classroom conversations, and when SAS volunteers arrived at the school later, students were already curious. Volunteers taught lessons that made the school-to-STEM career connection even more directly. They showed how computer programming provides the foundation for every product that comes from SAS.
Each lesson began with a video of SAS customers talking about how technology helps them be more successful. The use of SAS by the Orlando Magic, WildTrack (which tracks endangered species using digital images of their footprints), and North Carolina Criminal Justice Law Enforcement Automated Data Services (CJLEADS) provided relatable and compelling examples.
Based on the difference in the pre- and post-surveys, students not only learned about current STEM careers, but they really connected with the enthusiastic SAS volunteers who delivered the lessons. Students were asked if they felt school would prepare them for a STEM career. In the pre-survey, only 56 percent said “yes.” In the post-survey, it was 84 percent. They now know real-life STEM role models, and see more relevance in what they do in school every day.
We believe this event was well worth the time and effort involved. Our return on investment will emerge as more students see the relevance of computer science specifically and STEM, in general. This kind of activity could provide a valid role for any corporation wishing to increase the number of STEM graduates who will fuel a stronger economy for a better tomorrow. And yes, that is a challenge.
The complete blog piece can be found at:
http://blogs.sas.com/content/sascom/2012/12/10/the-missing-piece-connecting-school-work-to-stem-careers/
In my experience with CSTA, I’ve seen the profound benefit that companies can have when they engage with organizations such as CSTA and our more than 13,000 members to improve access to computer science education in K-12. Google, Microsoft, Oracle, and SAS are making major contributions.
But this leads us to ask, where is everyone else? Where are the companies that rely on the power of computing and the people who create the applications, run the networks, and make the systems secure?
It is an interesting question and one we should ask of every business leader we meet.
Chris Stephenson
CSTA Executive Director