This is Full STEAM Ahead, a STEAM career exploration program for youth! We believe that STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) is for everyone, and it is our mission to encourage youth to discover the magic and excitement for themselves, in engaging and accessible ways! The goal of this project is to inspire youth to shoot for the stars as they realize that STEAM careers can be anything they want them to be - the possibilities are endless. In order to better understand what this means and more tangibly show youth how they can get there, we are bringing them along on our STEAM adventures as we interact with STEAM professionals in engaging discussion and activities about their path to their cool career.
The Full STEAM Ahead career exploration program includes a mix of original videos showcasing unique careers in STEAM and how students can get involved, as well as the development and delivery of hands-on activities to facilitate student exploration of career-specific skills for each of the featured careers. Development entails planning; onsite visits to record the interviews, challenges, and action content; editing and post-production tasks; and hands-on activity creation aligned with the career. The videos will feature a wide variety of STEAM careers, including less conventional options students may not have heard of, including circus researcher (a mix of neuroscience and engineering), blacksmith (chemistry and engineering), chocolate artist (food science), and animal rehabilitation technician (zoology, environmental science, biology). Each video includes more than just an interview based on students’ questions - there are challenges and action segments to further engage students in memorable and interactive ways. We have already piloted an online version of this program, and the positive feedback and interest in more programming gives us confidence that the impact potential for this program is quite significant.
This program means investing in the future of our society. Early exposure to the variety of STEAM careers can inspire youth to see possibilities beyond what they had already known and connect their current and budding interests to future opportunities. It also can help youth consider educational pathways that may help them explore potential career paths. Beyond career exploration, this programming helps youth to develop important skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and creativity, and encourages them to apply these skills. This programming provides youth of all backgrounds and experiences the opportunity to see themselves in the shoes of our featured guest professionals, and gives youth the agency to explore both traditional and non-traditional STEAM careers and to find role models who inspire them to fulfill their potential.
This project is well-placed to help address critical priorities in youth STEAM education in Canada, which in turn impacts workforce development as these students graduate, and enter post-secondary school and the workforce. The demand for STEAM skills is rising, with these occupations growing faster and often providing meaningful career opportunities. Investment in STEAM skills development is essential for a globally competitive workforce. Increased youth confidence in STEAM, driven by effective programming, can help youth to be prepared for and pursue STEAM careers. By using evidence-based, community-connected models, we intend to increase participants' intent to pursue post-secondary STEM education and careers, directly fuelling the next generation of Canadian innovators.
By supporting youth in their career exploration, we support the development of our communities and empower all youth to believe that they can do what they dream to do.
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Such a great initiative! Investing in youth by equipping them to excel in sports and other arenas builds confidence, bright futures, and strong communities!