by Roz Brown for Public News Service
Young people who study science, technology, engineering and math improve their problem-solving skills, and a majority of New Mexico parents surveyed said their child’s afterschool program now offers these learning opportunities.
STEM education is available to nearly 44,000 students in afterschool programs across the state. Still, more than three in four children whose parents want such programs are not enrolled.
May Sagbakken, executive director of the nonprofit New Mexico Out of School Time Network, wants parents to know that access has notably improved in the past decade.
"We are extremely excited about the fact that in this study, 94% of parents in New Mexico reported that their child has access to STEM compared to 36% in 2014," Sagbakken reported.
The study is based on a survey of about 30,000 parents who have school-age children, including 283 households in New Mexico.
The nonprofit advocacy group Afterschool Alliance said STEM learning opportunities away from the classroom allow students to explore more interests and apply skills to real-world problems through hands-on, team-based engagement.
Jodi Grant, executive director of the alliance, said in addition to schools, STEM learning is often provided by church programs, community colleges and other local organizations. She noted an estimated 23 million children are not accessing the curriculum, particularly those outside of urban areas.
"That's a bigger barrier for kids in rural areas and for low-income kids," Grant explained. "While we're doing a lot better for the kids that we are serving, we need to be thinking about all the kids that we're not serving after school."
The study showed 63% of New Mexico parents with boys prioritized STEM learning, while only 53% of parents with girls did the same and Sagbakken emphasized the confidence young girls gain from more exposure to STEM disciplines in afterschool programs can make a significant difference.
"We hear over and over again that I was the only one in the aerospace engineering field, where they need mentorship and mentoring has emerged as some of the key components to keep young women in STEM," Sagbakken underscored.