Someone's URSA Experience 2022

My first week working as a URSA mentee was an interesting one, to say the least. My mentor asked me to study the differences between STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, *arts*, and math). At first glance, one might think that the Arts in STEAM are all focused on traditional arts such as painting and dance. It’s not. The arts in STEAM are taught through soft skills. Art is being able to think creatively and communicate new ideas. STEAM is trying to reintroduce the skills that schools didn’t deem necessary as part of STEM education.

I found a quote that really helped make it understandable, “When looking at STEM vs. STEAM, the difference lies in the way they approach scientific concepts. STEM focuses explicitly on the hard scientific, technological, engineering, or mathematical skills to drive progress or create a new concept. In STEAM curricula, per The Conversation, students leverage both hard and soft skills to solve problems.” (https://www.ucf.edu/online/engineering/news/comparing-stem-vs-steam-why-the-arts-make-a-difference/). That one letter difference is extremely important, as those soft skills are really what makes us human. Those skills are being able to communicate your ideas and present them, being able to work efficiently in a team, and also thinking creatively and when trouble comes by you can think of a new solution. That’s why it is so important, and right now companies and businesses are looking for people who have both the right technical skills and those exact soft skills.

Another way I could explain it is by using the example of Leonardo da Vinci. possibly one of the greatest artists ever known, but also an inventor. Leonardo’s inventions were ingenious, but what would those inventions be if he didn’t have the creativity to think of them in the first place? How would he have been able to come up with those ideas if he didn’t already have a creative skillset? These are the type of things that companies are wanting in employees.

So that’s what I learned this week, but next week I hope to build on that. I hope I can get to see the arts education more and maybe start looking for an opportunity to see this in action. Maybe with enough research, I can build a better curriculum to teach to students. I’m not sure. either way, I’m excited for what this week has in store for me.

Till next time,

-chloe