By C.J. Hirschfield
By now, pretty much
everyone knows that STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and math,
and that mastery of STEM spells success in school and beyond.
STEM jobs in the East
Bay pay well –$80,000 a year or more, even without an advanced degree. And jobs are plentiful: No other region in
the nation can boast three national laboratories – Lawrence Berkeley, Lawrence
Livermore, and Sandia – as well as a cross-section of manufacturing companies
that use robot operators, 3-D printers, software designers, researchers, and programmers. What’s more, jobs in STEM are
only expected to increase.
But many young people in
our community are not prepared to take these good jobs. It’s a challenge that
East Bay business leaders have been working on for decades, particularly
directing their focus on school-age kids.
The trouble is, by the time kids are taught STEM
subjects in high school, or even in elementary school, it may be too late. We
need to start much younger, getting kids excited about math and science during
their pre-kindergarten years.
And –
in case you were wondering – that’s where Fairyland fits in.
