“STEM” stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics. In Northeast Florida, we recognize the vital role medicine will play in future careers, so we have added a second M for Medicine, or STEM2. You may also see “STEM+C”, the C is for Computer Science, a critical underpinning in just about every industry and a high-demand career in itself.
STEM2 Hub seeks to assure that all student have the opportunity to engage in high quality experiences that will open doors to the future STEM2 careers.
We work to assure that all students have access to experiences in computer science, coding, high-quality mathematics instruction, and experiences that are problem-based and interdisciplinary in nature, such as those experienced by programming a robot.
Though the United States has historically been a leader in these fields, fewer students have been focusing on these topics recently. According to the U.S. Department of Education, only 16 percent of high school students are interested in a STEM career and have proven proficiency in mathematics. Currently, nearly 28 percent of high school freshmen declare an interest in a STEM-related field, a department website says, but 57 percent of these students will lose interest by the time they graduate from high school.