Science! Technology! Engineering! Mathematics! Some people want to look the other way with just the thought of the complexity of these subjects. Others jump into them headfirst. Both groups, as well as those in the middle of this spectrum, benefit from advances in these fields. Recent employment studies demonstrate that STEM careers in Alaska will outpace all other careers for the foreseeable future. While predicting the future is difficult, and not a place to bet the farm -- or the oil patch -- preparing all Alaska students for these careers is undoubtedly a safe investment that will pay off for years to come.
One need not look far to determine why this is so. Careers in the health industry, for example, are the fastest growing in the state. Along with advances in medicine and new health care facilities in Alaska, the aging population requires a high level of care that keeps pace with increased longevity. Also, in the energy and mining industries, getting the maximum benefit out of our state's renewable and nonrenewable resources depends on the work of young scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians ready for challenging tasks. We cannot wait for students in the Lower 48 or other countries to capitalize on opportunities in Alaska. We need to make sure that the people who live and work in Alaska are the ones prepared to benefit from everything our state has to offer.
STEM is hardly a new concept. The term was originally used in the 1870s during the Civil War reconstruction period. While it has had many iterations since then, its core goal has remained the same: each subject area must be taught as an integrative unit. Students want to know how the math is used, how the science relates to their own lives, how the engineering failures have helped us to be a safer and more vibrant civilization, and how technology opens up the exciting possibilities for the future.
Alaska remains a frontier. Our location, our resources, our clean air and water, and our way of life will be the subject of many studies in the coming decades. We have questions to answer: How will a warming Arctic affect the migratory patterns of animal species who inhabit the region? How can mining catastrophes in other areas inform safer and more lucrative mining practices in our state? How will new technologies for drilling, pumping, and transporting petroleum products alter the way we use resources? How will we make ports, storage and loading facilities, and safety systems for partial-year use if shipping across the Arctic Ocean opens up soon? These are truly exciting and difficult questions requiring teams of highly trained professionals with an intimate knowledge of the Alaska environment and how our systems work.
Preparing students for these exciting times requires updated learning methodologies and information. In April 2014, new standards for science, technology and engineering were released. These standards, termed the Next Generation Science Standards, are the work of teaching, science, technology and engineering professionals from throughout the country. There are no associated funding grants or national tests to go with these standards. The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development has decided to wait to consider adopting these new standards, in whole or in part, until teachers have a chance to master the changes in the mathematics and literacy standards. Many science educators and administrators in the state are asking a simple question, "Why wait?" The implementation of any updated standards requires time. Science and technology are rapidly changing, so the implementation of the new standards is more pressing than that of mathematics and literacy. Our students will be the ones who are most hurt by waiting to implement new standards. At the national level, textbooks, equipment and procedures for science and engineering classes are being changed now. Why put our students behind those of other states who are using the new standards to teach?
We need to prepare our future workforces beginning now. Ideally these changes would have begun a few years back, but there is still time for our education system to make changes and to better prepare students for the new careers. At the elementary level, our curriculum must include weekly science and technology lessons, along with mathematics and literacy skills. These fields aren't mutually exclusive. One of my favorite mentors, Dr. Emma Walton, frequently proffered that students can learn to read exciting science stories as easily as they can learn to read other literature. We simply cannot allow science and technology to take a back burner in this time of technological change and increased demand for workers with these skills. Who knows what new careers will develop in the coming decades.
Partnerships of education with industry, with government agencies, with caring parents and other citizens and with university personnel have worked well to extend education in professional fields. This will need to continue as we take on the challenges of career training for young Alaska students in the times of changing technology. Coupling these partnerships with the new standards, along with a renewed devotion to teaching STEM education in grades pre-kindergarten through two to four years of college and/or career training, is paramount to success.
It is time to prepare our kids for their futures now. When they look back at the decisions their parents made for them, let us hope they'll see a strong model for how they, too, can prepare future generations for the challenges that lie ahead. This will be in stark contrast to petty, shortsighted squabbles about funding. STEM education is a smart investment. Let us not waste another minute on our future.
Mike Fenster is a candidate for Alaska State House in District 24. He left an engineering career to teach high school math and science. After teaching 20 years at East and South high schools in Anchorage, Mike worked as the first STEM Curriculum Coordinator for the Anchorage School District. He retired in 2013.
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