MARY ANN WOLF: Commit to STEM and create pathways for students' futures

Because of the age of my own children -- in college and high school -- I have the opportunity to hear firsthand (or at least hear) about what students are planning to do after their formal education. It has amazed me recently to appreciate how many students have a sense of what they want to do in their careers -- whether to be a computer programmer, a journalist, a dentist or an engineer.

When I dig deeper, however, I quickly realize that these students who know what they want to do have something in common. They all were exposed to the possibilities of their fields early.  They had a chance to understand what a job might be through many different avenues.

They had the opportunity to know enough to pursue classes that relate to that field and the confidence to say they want to be an energy conservationist, statistician, scientist or neurologist. Many of our students do not necessarily have the opportunity to explore or even learn about a range of potential careers.

Within the top 10 jobs across the nation, half are in the STEM field. If changes and investments are not made, we will not have the workforce we need for those jobs and will ultimately fail our children and our economy.

Jobs in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields power our economy and build shared prosperity among our society. Investing in afterschool and summer STEM learning programs will help students explore their interests, build skills, connect with mentors, and prepare for jobs in growing fields like health care, information technology, and cybersecurity.

Kids are exposed to STEM through in and out of school programs. For some students, an in-school curriculum gives students the ability to identify or continue to develop their interests.

For some students, after school programs give needed hands-on creativity and experience to be able to explore the field and create a spark of interest After school programs also provide a safe space for students to try out ideas and figure out their interests. Each student learns differently, and ensuring that they have multiple and unique ways to create passion surrounding STEM is paramount.

Some of us can remember the moment that we knew what we wanted to do. For others, it was a much slower path to discovery. Regardless, we needed access to the possibilities to what it could mean to truly dedicate our energy to pursuing the area.

Kids are the same way. They are capable of much more than we often give them the chance to share. By creating meaningful and sustained access to STEM and STEM programs, students have a chance to understand why this is relevant to them and to build key skills that provide excellent pathways and critical contributions to today’s economy,

In North Carolina, we have the human resources, the local industries, and the financial means to work together to create pathways for students to understand more about STEM fields and translate that knowledge into careers.

We must commit ourselves to making these pathways a reality for our students and families — and for North Carolina.