Author: Dylan Taylor, Founder and CEO of Voyager Space
Though the educational landscape has changed quite a bit in the last few decades, core subjects have generally remained both relevant and impactful for new generations of learners. This fact is especially true of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses, which have evolved in tandem with our boldest technological innovations and most groundbreaking research achievements. With careers like actuarial science, industrial engineering, and forensics research among the most lucrative and sought-after in the United States, STEM concentrations have clearly remained at the forefront of societal development.
The space industry, too, is an essential driver of STEM growth. Students of nearly all ages can benefit from space-oriented STEM learning, which can cover various educational focal points and ultimately forge a deeper interest in science-, technology-, and math-based career paths.
For many students, STEM subjects can appear daunting and hard to understand – especially in earlier grades, when core math and science fundamentals are potentially at their most complex and foreign. Those with poor learning experiences early in life may, in turn, become disillusioned, exhausted, and intimidated by such concepts in adolescence and adulthood, suppressing what might otherwise come to light as a hidden skill set.
Rather, educational institutions must focus on implementing STEM in an accessible, intuitive manner that encourages interest and creativity while maintaining accountability and commitment to coursework. This process is one in which space can have an immensely positive effect. The mere concept of outer space is inherently captivating to young minds, a notion reinforced by entertainment media and literature, which consistently introduces real space concepts as a foundation for storytelling (albeit in an often hyperbolized, palatable manner).
STEM lessons, therefore, can leverage this fact by redirecting that underlying interest toward course material, with advanced spacecraft, vast celestial bodies, and enigmatic scientific theories acting as gateways into practical, interdisciplinary learning.
The space industry has long recognized this potential, framing space missions and astronauts as educational beacons and prioritizing STEM as a crucial subset of its multifaceted impact. Entities like NASA and the Smithsonian Science Center have a wide variety of space-related STEM resources to foster curiosity, imagination, and passion for critical thinking. NASA’s suite of offerings, for instance, includes everything from interactive lunar eclipse videos and advanced air mobility (AAM) toolkits to paper bag mask print-outs demonstrating Bernoulli’s Principle.
With more students enjoyably honing their STEM abilities, the broader STEM professional sector stands to reach new heights as future generations rise to disrupt long-standing paradigms. As noted by the Department of Defense, this cycle will be invaluable for establishing cutting-edge research and technology – and filling the over 80 percent of jobs projected to require STEM skills in the coming decade. Sectors like biochemistry, robotics, environmental science, and aerospace engineering are just a few that could experience unprecedented innovation as a result.
Another program worth mentioning is part of Voyager Space, called Dream Up. For the past decade, hundreds of students have participated in their hands-on direct experience in building and flying space hardware. A public benefit corporation, Dream Up continues to inspire the next generation to pursue STEM education.
As STEM grows to encompass and bolster a rapidly changing, increasingly tech-driven macro landscape, such subjects will remain vital for equipping tomorrow’s innovators. Implementing space into STEM education is one of many ways to keep students enriched, supported, and empowered to look beyond.
