| Published Wednesday, January 27, 2021
Arizona State University promotes the STEAM program in female students
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
By 2030, the world will have a greater demand for skills such as creativity, critical thinking, decision-making, and complex data processing; this need will increase 19% in the United States and 14% in Europe, according to a study by McKinsey Global Institute.
The pandemic has reinforced a more virtualized world. The STEAM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) are key to meeting the needs of the labor market. The project is led in Costa Rica by Arizona State University (ASU), with the support of the U.S. Embassy, the Costa Rican Investment Promotion Agency (CINDE) and the Ministry of Education.
That is why a pilot plan was carried out virtually, last year, in 6 high schools outside the Greater Metropolitan Area, GAM, which is the zone made up of cities in the outskirts of San José such as Alajuela, Heredia and Cartago. The pilot program, Women in Engineering Projects in Community Service or Women in EPICS, promotes these disciplines, especially with female students.
The first edition of Women in EPICS brought together students from 6 schools in rural areas such as Sixaola, Turrialba, San Ramón, Puntarenas, and Nicoya. Eight teachers were previously trained by experts from ASU in training methodologies in STEAM areas.
The teachers guided the students who, in a final competition, demonstrated their knowledge in design, construction, and prototyping aligned with a community problem. For example, one of the projects was to provide a better life quality for the elderly, and another one designed products to provide sustainable solutions for the environment.
The teams were led by female students and had the close collaboration of the multinational companies Boston Scientific, Edwards Lifesciences, Fiserv, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Tek Experts and Sykes. P&G and Tegra Medical also joined the virtual training.
The goal for 2021 is to replicate the project with the support of the U.S. Embassy and Ministry of Education, according to CINDE.
In Dec. 2020, the Children’s Museum
opened a STEAM Hall to bring children and
youth closer to the program: Science, Technology,
Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics, a
so-called STEAM.
The scientific hall was supported by CINDE, and
private international companies such as Akamai,
Emerson, Establishment Labs, Intel, Maderama, NI,
Pulse, Roche, and Johnson & Johnson.
This 1,210 square-foot space required a total
investment of more than $100,000, which was
donated by the nine companies. The creation,
fundraising, and hall construction process took
approximately three years.
“This modern hall will empower thousands of
children and youth to develop their skills and
abilities, and to discover a passion for careers
in science and technology," Mónica Riveros,
Executive Director of the Children’s Museum said.
"Our visitors will have access to first-world
learning and an entertainment space that will help
forge a more competitive nation, by better
preparing [our youth] for future challenges.”
The new room is a place full of technology, tests,
games to encourage Museum visitors' interest in
STEAM fields. The hall includes six modules, where visitors can
learn about the importance of the scientific
method, programming and decoding, product design,
manufacturing through technological processes,
robotics, and the integration of technology into
today’s society.
The room is aimed mainly at children and youth
between 7 and 15 years- old. It is part of the
regular route visitors take through the museum.
Visitors will have the opportunity to solve a
series of challenges through the use of science
and technology.
The scene is based on the tale of a robot that
controls much of planet Earth’s technology and has
suffered a failure in one of its most important
parts. This has caused a technological alert
around the world. The lack of internet, added to
intermittent electricity and communication
systems, are causing serious problems in every
corner of the world. Kids have to find a solution
to save the world.
According to CINDE, in the new knowledge economy,
it is vital to encourage, from an early age, the
learning skills and tools necessary to enable the
country's future human talent to take advantage of
every opportunity the world will offer them. This
room will be the first experience for many
children to discover that technology and
imagination can take them anywhere they choose.
In
2015 and 2016, only 7% of the degrees awarded in
Costa Rica were in fields related to engineering
and technology, while the average for Latin
America was 14%, according to data from the Ministry of Science.
The Children's Museum, located in San José
downtown and founded in 1994, is the only one of
its kind in the country with 40 halls of
interactive activities for visitors.
The weekly open hours are from 9 a. m. to 3 p. m.
On weekends, Saturdays and Sundays, it is open
from 9 a. m. to 4 p. m. Entry ticket rate is
about $3.60, must be bought online on the
Museum web page.
---------------------- Could the STEAM education plan increase work opportunities for young people? We
would like to know your thoughts on this story.
Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com
Real Estate For Sale
| BEAUTIFUL HOME FOR SALE
READY FOR MOVE IN MORAVIA, SAN JOSE PROVINCE
PRICE $750,000
APPOINTMENT ONLY CALL (506) - 8820-9768
|
Real Estate Related
|
|