FULL STEAM AHEAD
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For post-secondary educators, the Summit provides an opportunity to showcase how they teach STEAM in the college setting and the technology they use in the classroom. “Also, many college students help out at the booths which provides an opportunity for future students to connect and network with our currently enrolled Yellowjackets,” Boyd says.
So many of the in-demand jobs in the market today require skills and training in STEM and STEAM and the U.S. is behind other nations in STEM education. A recent report Boyd read stated that we are falling behind in science research and patents.
represented at the STEAM Summit, also noted the importance of technology in the career field. "As our world and work becomes more advanced through computers, automation, and artificial intelligence, we need a capable future workforce that is familiar with the technology and understand how it shapes the work done in varies careers," says Mandy Satterfield, Career Awareness Specialist at Mayo Clinic. "The STEAM Summit
highlights how STEAM touches every kind of
Indeed, as Boyd further explains, the STEAM Summit gives students an opportunity to see real-world technology in
work from technical careers to healthcare careers and all education levels high school diploma to advanced degrees." Dr. Kent Pekel is superintendent of schools in Rochester. For Pekel, the 2023 STEAM Summit was a fantastic experience
action. Students have a chance to use virtual reality (VR), biomedical, engineering, and other technologies used daily by those
for students from Rochester Public Schools (RPS). “The participation of RPS students increased from 249 students in
As the saying goes, ‘If you can’t see you, you can’t be it.” The STEAM Fair enabled our students to see themselves in jobs they might otherwise never have considered. “ ”
who work in STEAM
careers. They get a glimpse
of careers in STEAM industries
2022 to over 1,600 in 2023. Those students had the chance to talk
and connect with experts in their fields.
with people who work in a wide array of careers and to participate in activities that sparked their curiosity about those careers,” Pekel says. “As the saying goes, ‘If you can’t see you, you can’t be it.” The STEAM Fair enabled our students to see themselves in jobs they might otherwise never have considered.” Indeed, participating in events like the STEAM Summit is an
“We need to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
“From medicine to construction, students were exposed to dozens
of career pathway options many of which were probably unknown to them prior to attending the Summit,” Boyd says.
Boyd says. “Events like this highlight this need.”
Mayo Clinic, who sponsored and had over 40 career fields
6 | ROCHESTER AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ADVANTAGE MAGAZINE — DECEMBER 2023
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