By Karen Abrams
STEM is a familiar acronym for Science, Technology, Engineer and Mathematics and many Guyanese students access at least two of the four subject areas in their primary and secondary years of school. Most progressives in STEM academia will also share the importance of the inclusion of an A in STEM, essentially making it STEAM. A being a focus on the Arts, creativity, expression, essentially that component that prepares students to creatively use the tools of STEM to find solutions to problems in their world.
STEM courses teach students how to think logically, how to solve problems, how to persevere through challenges and coupled with the creativity and innovation encouraged in Arts education, students exposed to a quality STEM education will be the problem solvers of tomorrow who will drive Guyana’s economic development.
If Guyana is to develop her resources in an efficient, effective and equitable manner, then her children must be adequately prepared to take advantage of the opportunities that will arise in the not too distant future.
Explained in another way, the future will present a widening gap between the wealthy and the poor if the economically disadvantaged today do not take the steps to prepare their children for the future of technology that awaits them.
There can be no competitive development of Guyana’s resources: gold, diamonds, oil, agriculture, solar energy, bauxite, retail, entertainment and people, without the tools of technology.
The proliferation of internet technology has opened up instant lines of communications across nations in the world.
Those who will thrive in the future will be the people who see themselves as citizens of the world and who use the tools of technology to develop solutions for the world.
Even today, selling goods and services to other countries is exponentially easier than it was even 20 years ago. In 20 years, there will be no barriers and those young people who are being prepared with the necessary STEAM vision and skills today will be the ones driving commerce, development and economic growth tomorrow.
These are the factors that create generational economic wealth. Those who prepare today will thrive, those who do not will continue to suffer.
