Howard Community College

ARE WE EQUAL to the STEM EDUCATION CHALLENGE? clean "And when we consider science, technology, engineering, the bathroom? If you chose the bathroom, you have a lot of and math (STEM) career opportunities, mathematics is really the company. In a recent survey sponsored by Change the Equation, trunk of the tree, and science, technology, and engineering are the a national nonprofit created to support STEM education for all branches," she adds. "It is the entryway into understanding and children, Ogilvy Public Relations gauged Americans' attitudes solving the issues and challenges in all of these fields. Without toward their math skills. Almost one-third of the respondents said a good basic education in the principles of math, students today they would rather clean the bathroom than solve a math problem. will not be prepared or qualified for the careers of the future." Would you rather solve a math problem or The survey also found that nearly 3 in 10 adults claim they are not good at math, and this increases to 40 percent of Americans The Community College's Role 18 to 34 years old. Many of the respondents admitted to having In a 2007 report called "STEM Workforce Challenge," the difficulty figuring out sales discounts or the waiter's tip at a U.S. Department of Labor designated community colleges as key restaurant. And the overwhelming majority of respondents believe players, with a leadership role in initiating and strengthening that, unless we emphasize the development of good math skills, programs in fundamental STEM studies. there will be a negative impact on the future of our economy. The Commission on the Future of Howard Community College Why is this math problem such a dilemma? Math illiteracy seconded this conclusion in its 2008 report. The commission's seems to be much more acceptable than the inability to read or task force on new programs for the future concluded that, write. Yet math literacy is critical to everyone because it affects "community colleges play a unique and critical role in our our daily lives. educational system and can serve as the catalyst to address the "If you can't read a spreadsheet, understand statistics, or challenge we face as a nation in educational deficiencies." calculate an interest rate, how can you make important decisions "Community colleges provide pathways that lead people about purchasing a house, budgeting your finances, or even to STEM fields," says James Brown, co-chair of the STEM something as simple as deciding how much mulch to buy for Education Coalition. The national organization, composed of your yard? Math literacy is a basic survival skill in today's representatives from all sectors of the technological workforce, world," says Dr. Bernadette Sandruck, Howard Community advocates for STEM programs for teachers and students. "They College (HCC) mathematics division chair. are important in the essential task of helping to prepare science Howard Community College Spring 2011 | Pathways 3

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