A National Crisis
The United States is losing its competitive edge in math and science while the rest of the world soars ahead. American students are falling behind other countries in the critical subjects of math and science (STEM subjects).
The United States is losing its competitive edge in math and science while the rest of the world soars ahead. American students are falling behind other countries in the critical subjects of math and science (STEM subjects).
The goal of the Gales Pathways to STEM program at Lancaster High School is to help close the STEM achievement gap in the U.S.
Nationwide, the statistics regarding STEM education and the future of STEM careers are startling. For instance, U.S. students recently finished 27th in math and 20th in science in the ranking of 34 countries by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. View the video below for more surprising statistics:
Nationwide, the statistics regarding STEM education and the future of STEM careers are startling. For instance, U.S. students recently finished 27th in math and 20th in science in the ranking of 34 countries by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. View the video below for more surprising statistics:
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In order to help combat these problems, the GPS program is focused on preparing high-level students to advance in STEM-related fields. From the first day our freshmen arrive on campus, they begin exploring all that STEM has to offer, including possible career pathways. This culminates during the senior year with the students' internships with local partner companies and organizations.
Furthermore, the GPS program has been designed with student achievement at the forefront. For example, about 2/3 of high school math students and 1/3 of science students nationwide have teachers who did not major in the subject in college or are not certified to teach it. However, students at Lancaster High School are guaranteed to have instructors who are certified, highly-qualified professional educators, many of whom majored in their area of expertise and hold graduate-level degrees. |
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STEM is truly the future for our students. In this technological age in which we live, their best career options are going to demand STEM-related knowledge. In 2009, the United States Department of Labor listed the ten most wanted employees. Eight of those employees were ones with degrees in the STEM fields: accounting, computer science, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, information sciences and systems, computer engineering, civil engineering, and economics and finance. Furthermore, according to the U. S. Department of Commerce, STEM occupations are growing at 17%, while others are growing at 9.8%. A glance at starting salaries for engineers with $47,145 for civil engineers to $60,054 for chemical engineers is strong evidence that STEM related jobs can be financially rewarding careers for our children.
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Information and statistics obtained from the National Math & Science Initiative.
