Issue link: http://howardcc.uberflip.com/i/238538
ARE WE EQUAL TO THE STEM EDUCATION CHALLENGE? < < < with new and sophisticated computer programs. Engineering is award-winning entrepreneurship program, workforce training for a harder field today, but it is very exciting for those who are local businesses, and highly skilled faculty working with leading- prepared to meet the challenges." edge technologies. Students are also being prepared to work with "We have so many more opportunities in the computer people from diverse backgrounds across the globe. industry, in engineering and science, than we had 20 years Does this emphasis on STEM education minimize the ago," Sandruck agrees. "And we've only seen the tip of the importance of other areas of study? "Absolutely not," says iceberg. But these opportunities are meaningless, unless we get Friedman. "The world also needs people with liberal arts, children excited about these fields at an early age and keep them business, social sciences, and health sciences educations. But connected to the curriculum they need from elementary school STEM education is important to those students, as well. Math all the way through college." and science will be a necessity, if they are going to have the HCC is addressing the local and national need for a STEMeducated workforce in a variety of ways that are discussed in more skills they need for analysis and decision-making in the 21st century. detail throughout this issue of Pathways. These endeavors include "So many of our biggest challenges in the world today partnerships with local businesses, a STEM learning community involve science, technology, engineering, and math," Friedman for students, the new Associate of Science in Engineering degree, adds. "These challenges affect our environment, our economy, a unique program in cyber security, internships, scholarships, our national security, our communications, our health, and partnerships with the Howard County Public School System our country's leadership. Why is STEM education important? (HCPSS), articulation agreements with four-year colleges, an Individually and collectively, we all have a lot riding on it." STEM students working on an outdoor environmental project. 6 Pathways | Howard Community College Spring 2011