STEM Education

blog

Environmental Justice, Mental Health Care, Insomnia: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on environmental justice, access to mental health care, why America should stick with Europe. and more.

essay

The Power of Invention—and the Value of Diversity and Inclusion

Inventions benefit society and improve lives. Their economic impacts show the value of investing in more young people and their opportunities for learning. Policymakers could support programs that encourage more women, racial/ethnic minorities, and people from lower-income families to become inventors.

blog

State of the Union, OxyContin, Appalachia: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on insights from RAND after the State of the Union, public-health impacts of reformulating OxyContin, STEM jobs in Appalachia, and more.

essay

Appalachia Partnership Helps Both Workers and Employers in a Changing Market

An innovative program in Appalachia is realigning the skills of the workforce with the needs of employers, getting people back on the job and providing a 21st-century model of workforce development.

commentary

Ending the 'Brogrammer' Culture: How to Close the Gender Gap

Despite recent progress, women are significantly outnumbered in technology, comprising only 30 percent of the workforce worldwide. It's up to society, governments, and technology companies to close the gap. Improving internet access, education, and career opportunities for women could help.

Lucy Hocking

commentary

Open Science and a Culture of Health: You Two Should Talk

By working together, the Culture of Health and Open Science movements could increase their potential to accelerate the use of scientific evidence to address impediments to population health and collective well-being.

Sean Grant @GrantSeanP, Kathryn E. Bouskill @kebouskill

commentary

Why a Lack of STEM Teachers Could Jeopardise the Canada 2067 Vision

The future of STEM learning depends heavily on a strong STEM teaching workforce. But education systems around the world face significant challenges attracting, training, and keeping STEM teachers.

Julie Belanger

commentary

Keeping Americans on the Job in a Changing Economy

Despite calls to bring back U.S. coal mines and factories, the real issue isn't a lack of family-sustaining jobs, it's a mismatch between workers and available jobs.

Gabriella C. Gonzalez, Shelly Culbertson @SC_Culbertson

commentary

Cybersecurity Badge: One Big Step for Girl Scouts, Potentially Giant Leap for Women

The Girl Scouts will start offering 18 cybersecurity badges next year. In addition to exposing girls to cyber concepts and challenges, this could encourage them to pursue cybersecurity or other STEM careers in which women are underrepresented.

Lara Schmidt

commentary

Cambridgeshire Is at the Heart of England's Teacher Shortage Problem

Teacher shortages could be a real threat in Cambridgeshire, unless larger numbers of secondary school teachers are attracted and retained. There are simply too few new teachers replacing those who retire, with this gap being even more pronounced in STEM subjects.

Miriam Broeks, Julie Belanger

commentary

Back to Work: Middle-Skill Jobs in the STEM Economy

The STEM economy will grow by 17 percent through 2018, with expected job vacancies totaling 2.4 million. Middle-skill STEM jobs—such as computer support specialists, web developers, and engineering technicians—are in the highest demand.

Gabriella C. Gonzalez, Robert Bozick

commentary

Integrating STEM Learning in Early Childhood Education

Young children can understand concepts in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and early development of STEM skills seems to support learning later in life. But an effective teaching system is needed before STEM learning can be fully integrated into early childhood education.

Rafiq Dossani

q&a

The Good Hacker: Q&A with Lillian Ablon

Lillian Ablon talks about hacking, winning the DEF CON black badge, women in STEM, and more.

announcement

RAND to Evaluate New STEM Initiative in Appalachia Region

RAND will provide research and analysis for a multiyear, multimillion-dollar investment by Chevron in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) K-12 education and energy-sector workforce development training in the Appalachia region.

commentary

The Realities of Silicon Valley's Lack of Workforce Diversity

Major Silicon Valley tech firms have released statistics indicating their workforces are largely made up of white men. Corporate America is on the receiving end of a complex chain of social and educational factors that continue to leave minorities behind in terms of college graduation, and both minorities and women behind in terms of STEM degrees.

Lawrence M. Hanser, Nelson Lim

commentary

Instead of Promoting STEM Education Indiscriminately, Try This

With all the evidence demonstrating the importance of STEM education for success in the 21st century, well-intentioned policymakers may be tempted to indiscriminately promote all STEM curricula, across all levels of education. But unpacking what STEM really means reveals the need for a more nuanced approach.

Rafiq Dossani

commentary

What to Make of P-TECH Schools

There is no doubting the viability of STEM skills in the 21st century job market and the long-term benefits of going to college. But the P-TECH program could be promising for two reasons that have nothing to do with technology.

Rafiq Dossani