Seeing the STEM in Maine
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Tom Goodwin, MMSA’s digital media specialist, shares what he learned while filming the “STEM in Maine” video series in his guest blog post below.
The Assignment
Maine is a large state filled with small communities. I’m only now realizing the full scope of both sides of that proverbial coin.
Thanks to the support of the Alfond Foundation, MMSA’s “STEM Workforce Ready 2030” (WFR) project was asked to document a cross-section of the diverse kinds of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education happening across the state. I knew I’d learn a lot, but… where would I start?
The answer was in the project itself. What better way to document these gems than to interview folks already doing the work? Take that camera, shoot first, and see what we’d find in the footage. Things began to take shape in the form of short videos(opens in a new tab) featuring a variety of STEM topics and experts from across the state.
The Discovery
Over the past year I’ve met incredible, intelligent changemakers; middle school educators introducing their students to computer science, knowing full well that tomorrow’s employment landscape can’t help but rely on problem-solving skills and new technology that didn’t exist, even five years ago. Museum educators committed to storytelling in a thorough and objective way that paints Maine’s historic roles without bias. Scientists from across the state, dedicated to transitioning Maine to renewable energy sources for the betterment of its residents, and doing so in the most seamless way possible.
The more I looked, the more I realized that STEM education is happening all the time, and all around us.
It’s not a switch you flip, or a space you walk in and out of. It’s the building blocks of life itself. Science, technology, engineering and math provide a blank slate for creative, problem-solving minds to harness. And in so many communities here, it’s happening at a young age, thanks to the support of the state’s dedicated educators.
The Future
STEM is everywhere. Knowing that, educators constantly challenge their own curriculums, their own outputs, and their own expertise so that Maine’s students will be better equipped for a world that increasingly relies on technology and science.
A legend once said, “the future is unwritten.” Maine communities’ lifelong learners embrace that in a form of unfettered curiosity, preparedness and forward thinking that’s challenging the landscape of education to prepare leaders of tomorrow.
What started as a sort of audit of WFR’s impact on computer science initiatives in Maine’s K-12 spaces has become a colorful illustration and vibrant, evolving story, reflected in MMSA’s projects happening throughout Maine—and we’re just getting started. There are many more stories to tell, and I hope you’ll come along for the ride.
Subscribe to MMSA’s YouTube(opens in a new tab) and TikTok(opens in a new tab) channels to see how this unfolds.
