Some of the richest sources of economic growth and employment are rooted in hard skills in science, technology, engineering and mathematics — areas collectively known as STEM. While there is a need to fill jobs in these spaces, there are only so many people with the necessary skills.
While education in STEM subjects has been traditionally hard to come by, New York City is making STEM education more accessible, from free coding classes to summer immersion programs.
A number of startups have also launched in this space to encourage STEM education in students early on in development. Here are four programs shaping the future of STEM education and the next wave of NYC tech.
Girls Who Code, which originated in New York, is on a nationwide mission to permanently affect the number of women who enter a STEM-centric field. The organization has over 10,000 alumni, and among graduates, 92 percent of girls have taught another girl how to code.
Hopscotch is a mobile-first platform that makes computer programming fun and accessible to children. The service allows children to play with digital experiences they make — from drawings to space games to mini websites. The company sees programming as a form of creative expression, and as such, wants to empower kids to create.
TagMe 3D uses augmented reality to create both a physical children’s book and a mobile application. The service, which the company dubbed 'Book+App' allows publishers to easily add mobile application animations to existing texts to help children learn phonics.
Pixel Academy offers educational workshops to help students develop digital skills, which includes everything from 3D printing to iOS programming. The digital media and programming school is available to students ages 4-16, with a project-based approach to learning that encourages exploration and creativity using cutting-edge technology.
