Recently, STEAM has caught on as a buzzword in K-12 and afterschool learning. Short for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math, STEAM is more than a subject area. It is meant to be an interdisciplinary way to develop creative problem-solving skills in youth.

The arts have a profound impact on youth, educators, and educational environments (Fiske, 1999). In fact, the arts have the ability to:

• reach students who are not otherwise being reached.
• engage students in ways in which they are not otherwise being engaged.
• connect students to themselves and each other.
• transform the environment for learning.
• provide learning opportunities for the adults in the lives of young people.
• provide new challenges for those students already considered successful.
• connect learning experiences to the world of real work.

Additionally, arts education fosters student achievement and success in other areas such as reading and language skills, mathematics skills, thinking skills, social skills, and the motivation to learn (Ruppert, 2006). However, we often think of science and art as opposing subjects. Science involves data, research, and facts. While art is subjective, creative, and sometimes emotional. It can be difficult to see how these two subjects can coexist in a STEAM program. Incorporating art into an existing STEM program does not mean spending less time on science. Instead, art education can better prepare youth for successful futures by fostering and reinforcing STEM skills.

“STEAM is an educational approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking. The end results are students who take thoughtful risks, engage in experiential learning, persist in problem-solving, embrace collaboration, and work through the creative process. These are the innovators, educators, leaders, and learners of the 21st century!”

https://educationcloset.com/steam/what-is-steam/

What Counts as STEAM?

A STEAM-focused program blurs disciplinary boundaries that used to contain “subjects,” like math and art classes do. Creative problem solving and design thinking are at the center of STEM projects.