Fearlessly Speaking for the "Non-Gifted" STEM Student

I've been thinking about this topic for a while now. I'm just going to start with a question.

Why do so many people think that a STEM program should only be for gifted students?

I'll tell you where this is coming from. Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to attend a conference near my home, and one of the highlights of the conference was visits to local STEM programs at nearby schools. When I looked deeper into these schools, every one of them was for "gifted and talented" students. It left a sour taste in my mouth, and I didn't go to the conference. I wanted to see other programs like mine. I wanted to share my successes and struggles and brainstorm ideas with them about how to make STEM subjects accessible and motivating for any student who loves science/math/engineering/tech but doesn't necessarily qualify for some state standard as "gifted", or have the highest test scores in those subjects.

Don't even get me started about how students qualify for gifted programs due to IQ tests they take in 2nd or 3rd grade, or how a test they take one day out of the year can open doors for them that might otherwise be closed. That is a post for another day. I also must say that I understand the value of encouraging our country's smart students to go into STEM fields in the future. There is data to support the contention that students who struggle don't tend to go into STEM fields of study because the work is difficult and/or culturally unresponsive to their needs.  But should students who are not labeled as smart by some educational system be ignored as possible candidates for STEM programs and courses? I say NO!

When I researched information about this idea of students who don't qualify for STEM programs because they aren't "smart" enough, an interesting trend kept popping up. Apparently, there is this idea that STEAM would take care of the problem of unqualified STEM students. I saw several articles, websites and blogs dedicated to the idea that the students who are not "smart" might be "bright", and bright students can be encouraged with STEAM programs. My friends who lead a STEAM program nearby would take serious offense to that premise. STEAM is not the dumbing down of STEM. I believe there is incredible value in helping artistic students find their passion among the STEM fields of study. We need to remember that the science, math, technology and engineering fields we have now and that we foresee in the future are just a drop in the bucket of what is coming.It isn't the jobs we need to focus on. It is the skills! Basically, STEM skills are needed in EVERY field.

For the program I lead, we take students from all walks of life. Students in grades 6 through 8 are selected based on various criteria. The most value is placed on their interview with the program facilitators and teacher recommendations. If I based my program strictly on test scores and Gifted and Talented designations, the program would have missed out on many incredible students.

We would have never been blessed with "Darla", who had a hemispherectomy when she was two. She is served by our special education services. She functions with half of her brain. She has almost no motor skills in one arm and has limited movement in one leg. She struggles academically with math. She also created the BEST invention we've ever seen in our program: a cutting board for people with only one arm...and she is writing her first novel! She is fearlessly independent.

We would never have known "Blake" who writes like a 3rd grader (he is a 7th grader) and has ADHD, In his interview he answered a question I posed about perseverance with a comparison to a Russian/Polish naval battle. He explained the history and outcome of the event...and it tied in perfectly!  The students and the teachers always look forward to his class presentations because he speaks with eloquence and always offers a surprise that makes us think a little deeper about the topic. He fearlessly faces down a room of his peers, which is better than some adults I know!

I could go on and on about the amazing children I work with every day, but you get the idea.

When I give tours of the program to perspective students and their parents, I always point out that we don't take just the super smart kids. We are looking for the Einsteins. When they look at me funny, I tell them how Einstein almost flunked out of school and his teachers called him an idiot.

So I implore those who work in STEM programs, whether you are a facilitator, leader, administrator. Think about what you stand for. Consider what you do. If something needs to change, be fearless in making that change happen. Be like my kids!