STEM...STEAM...STEAHM?

Here in the Sleepy School for Exceptional Boys, I do not push STEM/STEAM. I get no end of crap from some people about this, but I stand by the decision. Even as a former STEM-based career professional.

Even as a FEMALE STEM-based professional.

STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) was started as a push to get kids (in particular, girls) interested in STEM careers early. I had no issue with that, honestly, even though my literature study for my PhD pretty much showed that early exposure and interest didn't really translate into a future career in the field. (Or even future interest in a future career in the field.)

And somewhere along the lines, the arts got mad that science, technology, engineering and math were getting all this attention (read: money) and suddenly was ended up with STEAM.

Which had me scratching my head and wondering what the actual purpose behind the "movement" was. Are we hoping kids will develop and maintain an interest in STEM because of the future of technology in our career paths? Are we hoping to try and solve the pipeline problem with women in these fields?

Then why in the fresh hell is Arts part of it?

Don't get me wrong, arts matter.

The arts are important.

But it's a lot easier to get girls in particular interested in the arts. So...why STEAM? Seems to me, all the teenage boys, minus the few exceptions who would already have been there, will flock to the STEM parts and the rest - majority girls - will glom on to the Arts.

In my mind? Let's just throw in an H for Humanities.

Then we've covered all the bases.

Or as we called it when I was little: school.

Of course, that means that we've decided to just let little Johnny and Susie decide for themselves what's interesting to them and pursue those careers based on their interest and formative experiences (Hint: It's less likely to be a STEM career for the girls unless the old boy's club gets a kick in the nuts or the girl in question is willing to put up with a lot of BS.)

Regardless, around here we do school - that's STEAHM. And I hope my boys find interests that produce sustainable careers long term - be that in a STEM field, the arts, or the humanities.