STEM/STEAM

What Is STEM?

We keep talking about STEM concepts in education. What is this and why is it important?

STEM learning refers to the education and learning of the subjects related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. It is an interdisciplinary approach to learning that combines these four subjects to solve real-world problems. We as model railroaders like to add the letter "A" to make the acronym "STEAM" with obvious reference to steam locomotives. The A stands for Art, which is appropriate because there is definitely artistic expression involved in creating beautiful landscapes and architecture while building model railroads.

STEM education aims to develop students' critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills. It encourages students to think creatively and use their imagination to explore different ideas and solutions.

STEM learning can take place in various settings, including classrooms, laboratories, and other hands-on learning environments. It can also involve a combination of lectures, experiments, and projects.

STEM education is becoming increasingly important in today's world as technology continues to advance, and the demand for workers with STEM-related skills continues to grow. By providing students with a strong foundation in these subjects, STEM education helps prepare them for a wide range of career opportunities and for solving the challenges of the future.

STEM and model railroading go together like ice cream and apple pie. Model railroad can demonstrate to students the actual hands-on application of what they are learning in school about science, technology, engineering and mathematics. All of these disciplines are used in the designing and planning of a model railroad. It shows students some of the real world applications of these concepts and increases their chance of remembering about them. It also may help influence future career decisions. We definitely need more scientists, and engineers in the workforce. And we need more people in general to understand science and to use basic scientific evidence to help make better decisions in their lives.

That's why we are so interested in promoting STEM learning and why not have fun learning it while building a model railroad?