Georgia Tech and the K-12 Mission
It may be a lack of exposure for some, an issue of intimidation for others, while there are still others who may simply have bought into the notion that science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) subjects are just not cool.
Enter Georgia Tech.
Recognizing the gap industry faces between STEM-based graduates and the rapidly rising demand for STEM professionals, Tech is on a mission to capture the hearts and minds today of those who will make up the workforce of tomorrow. The idea is to connect with students early in their school careers to at least familiarize them with STEM subjects so that they realize these subjects can not only be fun – but that they are the gateway to careers that are secure, financially rewarding, personally fulfilling, and even world-changing.
“Research shows that early exposure to STEM is key to students pursuing higher education and careers in STEM fields, and because the STEM fields continue to be dominated by white males, encouraging diversity at an early age is extremely important to creating a diverse STEM workforce,” says Chris Thompson, associate director at Tech’s Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics, and Computing (CEISMC). “Community outreach is an integral part of Tech, and we are excited about helping to meet the great needs that exist in the K-12 community surrounding our institution and across the state.”
From summer camps onsite, to virtual connections, to roving outreach, the efforts to reach students in the K-12 age range are Institute-wide, interdisciplinary, and year-round. In fact, so extensive is the outreach at Tech, it’s impossible to list all initiatives, but the following examples give a sense of the scope: