4 Benefits of STEM High School Learning
From online shopping to virtual watch parties with friends to remote learning, technology is an everyday part of life in the modern world. This extends to our professional lives, too. The National Skills Coalition released a report in 2023 estimating that 92% of jobs today require digital skills. Heartbreakingly, they also show that a third of the workforce right now lacks the technical literacy to thrive in that environment.
Why Study STEM in High School?
STEM, which stands for “science, technology, engineering, and mathematics,” is the foundation of technical literacy. A STEM high school that focuses on these foundational skills sets students up for the future. Whether or not a student wants a career in a tech-based field, learning STEM skills in high school lays a solid foundation of creativity, critical thinking, and digital literacy.
Here are four reasons to study STEM in high school:
1. Tackle Real-World Problems
The lessons learned in STEM programs provide students the ability to solve real-world problems. Applying math skills to science fields teaches students the power of technology as a helpful life tool. STEM students feel like they have a legitimate reason to learn and will organically develop a love of knowledge that they will use the rest of their lives.
2. Prepare for Future Careers
A STEM high school curriculum prepares students for future jobs that may involve a combination of math, science, and technology. STEM students graduate in better shape to find and keep a job because they have the knowledge, experience, and realistic expectations to succeed.
3. Learn Math and Science Holistically
Unlike traditional school curriculum, life does not separate topics, subjects, and disciplines into neat compartments. Learning about several essential subjects through interdisciplinary lessons reinforces and interconnects information and applications for STEM high school students.
4. Encourage Creativity in Problem-Solving
Applying the lessons from one subject to the others requires a unique set of creative problem-solving abilities. The STEM approach to learning encourages increased curiosity leading to the development and honing of valuable critical thinking skills.
Our Unique Approach to STEM Learning
As educators, it’s our job to prepare students for whatever the future may hold. We can’t be sure how technology may change or what new challenges may arise in the next generation. But we can give students a solid foundation in the principles of critical thinking and interdisciplinary learning, which will carry them forward on the road ahead.
With that in mind, Northpoint Charter School takes a different approach than some STEM high schools. Instead of focusing just on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, we add an extra subject: art.
Our STEAM learning program combines traditional STEM disciplines with creativity and hands-on projects. Students learn by making, doing, experimenting, and exploring, and pick up practical skills and foundational knowledge along the way.
STEAM is just one of the things that makes Northpoint unique. Our tech-based hybrid learning program, dual enrollment opportunities, and cozy atmosphere are all designed to help students reach their full potential by empowering kids to be partners in their own education.
Call (505) 296-7677 to learn more about our program, or schedule a tour today to visit our campus.
