Why S.T.E.M. Should Be Turned Into S.T.E.A.M.

By Luriah Hinshaw

Photo from

1

Studies from Americans for the Arts reveal 93% of Americans believe the arts are crucial to obtaining a well-rounded education. Although it is clear many individuals share this sentiment, instruction and knowledge of the arts is becoming less and less imperative throughout elementary and secondary school when compared to the importance of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

Research has uncovered the benefits of arts education, and it’s nearly unending: students develop highly creative skills, are more likely to graduate college, are expected to have better school attendance, and are more probable to be recognized for academic excellence- to name a few. In spite of the arts being deemed as a “core academic subject” through the No Child Left Behind legislation, 66% of public school teachers will say that subjects such as art (visual, poetry, dance, music, etc.) and social studies are being driven out of the curriculum to accommodate to subjects such as math and science.

While many believe that an education in technology or science is what provides the most opportunity for a steady career, data will suggest that 72% of business leaders believe creativity is the most vital skill they seek when hiring new team members. Moreover, organizations such as the locally run Sierra Arts Foundation will argue that “…these big agencies (Tesla, Amazon, etc.) fund STEM education, STEM research, and STEM grants, but many don’t realize that the arts expand the mind regardless of the final outcome. You need a whole balanced, holistic look at the arts in order to create that out-of-the-box thinking,” says Tia Flores, Program Director of the Sierra Arts Foundation and member of Nevada STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) subcommittee.

Photo from the Sierra Arts Foundation

The Sierra Arts Foundation aims to provide individuals of all ages with exposure to the arts including literature, poetry, dance, visual art, and many other forms. “We are primarily focused on creating a nurturing and supportive environment for our community artists as well as creating robust educational arts programming within our school system,” says the Executive Director of the Sierra Arts Foundation, Tracey Oliver.

The organization firmly stands within the belief that all forms of art are vital to gaining substantial and in-depth knowledge throughout any subject. “Kids are not paper and pencil learners, all of them. Some of them need other ways to adapt and grasp the content. And that’s where the arts step in, whether you’re learning it through dance or music or painting it or sculpting it,” says Oliver, “I know there’s four chambers to a heart because my fourth-grade teacher let me sculpt the heart.”

When asked what difference arts education can make for students, Flores replied, “…deeper learning takes place, and it’s called depth of knowledge. And that goes a lot further. So, it’s not just something you learn and then it’s gone right away. You’re actually absorbing that knowledge.”

The instruction of math and science are indeed critical; yet, this is not to say that education of visual art, poetry, dance, and so on should be cast aside given the overwhelming evidence of the personal and academic strength it generates within students. Not only does arts education provide better learning opportunities, but a research article from the Harvard Educational Review mentions the way in which art and culture foster crucial behavioral characteristics such as empathy and social awareness, subjects that aren’t generally taught within the classroom.

Oliver states, “The arts teach all those things. I mean suddenly the football player who started dancing is not just a football player and more just, you know, that guy right there learning to do something with all of us together,” meaning that individuals who take part in creative and cultural experiences become, essentially, more human.