Thanks, STEM!

Sign Up For Our FREE Daily eNews!

Parker Varney Students arrive at UNHM for STEMfest
Parker Varney Students arrive at UNHM for STEMfest. Courtesy Photo

Screen Shot 2018 01 29 at 12.51.14 PMYou read a lot lately about how practicing gratitude can improve your mental well-being. But have you ever thought specifically about why you are grateful for science?

I hadn’t until last November when I listened to a podcast called “Thanks, Science,” put out by the Union of Concerned Scientists. In the podcast, five leading scientists talk about what they have to thank science for. Their answers range from antibiotics to the invention of the transistor to the measurement of gravity waves.

Now the question, “Why am I grateful for science?” pops into my head on a regular basis, although I’ve modified it to “Why am I grateful for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)?” My answers vary depending on the day.

Students collaborating at STEMfest
Students collaborating at STEMfest. Courtesy Photo

The question was particularly on my mind a couple of Saturdays ago when we held STEMfest at the STEM Discovery Lab. STEMfest is an event hosted by students from the University of New Hampshire’s College of Engineering and Physical Sciences (UNH CEPS). These UNH students, called STEMbassadors, provided a STEM-rich educational experience to students from Southside Middle School and Beech Street, McDonough and Parker Varney elementary schools. The excitement among the students was incredible. They were engaged the whole time: building, laughing, listening, testing ideas and working together to solve problems.

Students working on engineering challenge
Students working on engineering challenge. Courtesy Photo

One of the Manchester school district teachers who attended said she wished the students had more of this. Another said she realized how much her students crave more opportunities to build, create and problem solve. Students told me they wished they could come back every weekend.

That’s when it hit me. I am most thankful for STEM’s ability to excite.

Getting some Wildcat love
Getting some Wildcat love. Courtesy Photo

I went back and listened to the podcast again. The interviewer had asked each of the scientists when they became interested in science or decided they wanted to be a scientist. All five of them said it was when they were kids: becoming fascinated by whales in fourth grade, receiving a microscope for Christmas, or receiving books on astronomy and engineering from teachers and parents at a young age.

It is my hope that we can all keep exposing students to STEM experiences that inspire them, so that one day they can look back and pinpoint the moment they became fascinated by STEM. In the meantime, why are you grateful for STEM?


Screen Shot 2018 03 12 at 9.57.49 PMIn her role as the STEM Discovery Lab Coordinator, Emily supports the collaborative effort between UNH Cooperative Extension and UNH Manchester of the STEM Discovery Lab located on the Manchester campus. Emily was an English as a Second Language and English Language Learner educator for youth and adults in the greater Manchester and Seacoast areas for over 8 years and was the project assistant for the GATE CITY Project (Getting All Teachers ESOL Certified in Two Years) at UNH Manchester from 2012 to 2015. Emily earned her B.A. in international studies from The Ohio State University and her M.Ed. in secondary education from UNH Manchester. She is the mother of two active teenage boys and loves spending time outdoors.

About this Author