STEAM is the common short-hand for an international movement dedicated to fostering advances in educational technology and integrated, project-based instruction to revitalize science education. The approach is summed up in the phrase that gives rise to its acronym: Science & Technology, interpreted through Engineering & the Arts, all based in Mathematical elements. STEAM certification is increasingly recognized as the gold-standard of international science education for teachers and schools and has been promoted by NASA, Columbia University, numerous fortune 500 companies, and President Obama’s flagship Educate to Innovate initiative.

 

STEAM pedagogy, particularly in primary education, is guided by thematic units rather than compartmentalized subjects and much of classroom time is given over to assisting students with supervised collaborative projects.  Time spent receiving information while seated is minimal, instead students are enjoined to learn by doing. The hallmark of a STEAM classroom is often boisterous activity; the students are constantly on their feet. Whether they are recording observations on digital notepads, carrying out experiments, or conducting their own research; the STEAM classroom is committed to upholding academic rigor while rooting out styles of teaching that consign much of classroom time to zestless memorization. At  Manor New Tech High-school of Texas, a school singled out by President Obama for demonstrated science excellence, the school-day does not include lectures, textbooks or AP classes. Rather, students are evaluated based on successful completion of 65 projects over the course of the year, each project including a public presentation.

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Under the broader umbrella of CCEC, the CAN Scholastic Foundation works to promote STEAM education in several effective ways. We train and certify STEAM teachers and offer them a variety of avenues for professional development including STEAM forums and workshops both in the U.S. and China. We foster an educational exchange programs that places American STEAM teachers in Chinese schools and run classes on STEAM teaching methods. CCEC also annually organizes STEAM camps and sponsors STEAM-focused schools in China's Hebei province.  

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To keep up to date on CCEC's latest STEAM-related initiatives and to learn more about STEAM education worldwide, please visit our News Blog.  

 

 

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