Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) Education

The United States has long been known as a world leader in scientific and technological innovation and the information and communications technology (ICT) sector is collectively spearheading educational initiatives focused on improving education in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines.   

By using their unique resources and perspectives as leaders in technological innovation in part to bolster existing efforts of local school districts, universities, and community colleges, ICT companies are helping to increase America’s domestic pipeline of high-skilled workers. 

However, concerns have been raised about the nation’s ability to maintain its global technological competitiveness in the future, as well as an over-reliance on the STEM talent of foreign students.  This is not to say that today’s youth are not highly motivated to solve modern society’s biggest challenges, including climate change, healthcare, and global development – they are motivated.  However, American students are not being adequately prepared and developing the important science, technology, engineering and math skills they must have to become tomorrow’s leaders.

A National STEM Initiative

Now is the time to bend the current trajectory by launching a national STEM initiative that heeds to President Obama’s call to “restore science to its rightful place, and . . . to wield technology’s wonders to meet the demands of a new age.”   To maintain our country’s competitiveness in the 21st century, the public and private sectors must work together to cultivate the best and brightest scientists and engineers, here in America, needed to create tomorrow’s innovations. 

A focus on STEM education will foster America’s next generation of innovators and leaders. The high tech sector will continue to do its part. The private sector, philanthropy, and local, state, and federal governments should partner to accomplish at least four key objectives:

(1) Build a national STEM infrastructure,

(2) Improve the pipeline of STEM educators,

(3) Create demand for STEM education among youth and parents, and

(4) Improve access to and coordination of STEM resources.

National STEM Game Design Competitions

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) and the Information Technology and Industry Council (ITI) and our corporate and nonprofit partners will sponsor two nationwide competitions to create new games and game play experiences that support science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education principles – The STEM Game Challenge and Game Changers.

The first contest, the STEM Game Challenge, which pairs three anchor funding partners (one for each contest) with three non-profit social entrepreneur organizations to simultaneously conduct three STEM video game design contests across three age ranges 4-8, 8-12, and 12-15: 

(1) Early Childhood STEM Game Challenge, funded by the Entertainment Software Association in conjunction with the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop;

(2) Middle Childhood STEM Game Challenge, funded by ITI in conjunction with E-Line Ventures; and

(3) Teen STEM Game Challenge, funded by Microsoft Corporation in conjunction with Games for Change.

The second contest, Game Changers, is a component of the 2010 Digital Media and Learning Competition, a $2 million yearly effort supported by the MacArthur Foundation that advances the most innovative approaches to learning through games, social networks and mobile devices.  Sony Computer Entertainment of America (SCEA), in cooperation with ESA and ITI, will team with MacArthur to support the competition which will result in the creation of new game play experiences that enhance STEM principles using 2008 Game of the Year, LitteBigPlanet. 

These contests will provide needed incentives and prizes to attract a diverse group of game developers to apply their expertise to STEM-based games. The sponsors will foster connections between developers and marketing/distribution partners to help ensure these games effectively reach the target audience in both formal and informal settings. Finally, in addition to their financial support, Microsoft and SCEA have generously agreed to donate hundreds of consoles for use by at-risk and low-income children so that they too can enjoy the benefits the STEM related video games developed by this competition. 

For more information about the National STEM Game Design Competitions and the organizations and companies making them possible view our STEM Game Design Competition Fact Sheet.

**If you would like to submit an entry into either competition, please visit www.dmlcompetition.net and download the entry form.** 

STEM  Statistics

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting, analyzing, and reporting data related to education in the United States and other countries.  In September of 2009, NCES released their most recent report entitled, Highlights From TIMSS 2007: Mathematics and Science Achievement of U.S. Fourth and Eighth Grade Students in an International Context, which compares the average scores of U.S. fourth and eighth grade students in the areas of math and science to students in other countries.