STEM-based education, with its focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, has been getting a lot of attention in recent years. It’s seen as a dynamic new way to help children approach learning, and there has been a particular focus on getting girls to engage with it, challenging the idea that some subjects are just for boys.
STEM education embodies many of the qualities that make an entrepreneurial mindset, so what is it about this type of learning that can help to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs?
Institutions like the Hong Kong international school have been placing an increasing focus on developing STEM-based educational programs to better equip children for today’s world and give them the skills they need to take control of their own futures. This approach helps to produce young people who are ready to take the world forward, rather than weighing them down with types of learning that no longer have the relevance they once did.
Focusing on key skills
Children are born with a hunger for knowledge and understanding, but there are limits to how much any child can take in during the key early years. STEM is designed to teach children how to manage and make sense of the things they learn. It builds skills that are highly prized in today’s economy, and abilities that are highly transferable, broadening young learners’ options so that they can pursue diverse career paths.
Training the mind
STEM helps to build and develop analytical skills which can be applied to a wide range of disciplines. It helps children think logically, a big asset when making business decisions. The earlier skills like this are acquired, the deeper the grasp children will have of every subject they study. This also boosts their ability to adapt to new challenges later in life, helping them to pick up new skills and solve whatever problems they are presented with.
Encouraging action
Unlike traditional rote-style learning, STEM is all about active engagement. It encourages children to take control of their environment and make active decisions about how they take their education forward. This not only makes learning more fun, so they’re likely to take in more overall, but also encourages them to take an active approach to life in general, creating opportunities rather than waiting to be found by them.
Education for the modern world
In a world where children are surrounded by computers and mobile devices, it’s no longer necessary for them to remember a great deal of information which can quickly be obtained through research. Far more important is teaching them how to do that research and how to make sense of that information. STEM reflects an updating of education to acknowledge this change, and helps young learners to interact more effectively with the world that awaits them.
For all these reasons and more, STEM is a great way to help children develop their natural abilities and prepare for adult life. Rather than teaching them to fit into an existing system, it empowers them to find their own ways of doing things. Young people taught in this way are perfectly positioned for entrepreneurship and for helping society make progress.