Navy Plans To Invest Over $100 Million In STEM Education

A United States Navy official recently announced a plan to improve its focus on America's science, technology, engineering and math education (STEM) over the five years. The Navy hopes this will help strengthen the service's somewhat uncertain future workforce, as well as inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.

A press release issued by the U.S. Navy states they will invest more than $100 million in science and technology education by 2015. This move is to be made in conjunction with Obama's call to improve STEM over the next decade.

Ray Mabus, Secretary of the Navy, said he is keen on doubling the Navy's investment during Wednesday's Naval STEM Forum in Alexandria, Va.:

"We are going to double it in a targeted and innovative way so that we reach the maximum number of people and have the maximum impact."

The Navy is initiating this strategy due to an aging science and technology workforce. According to the press release, more than 50 percent of the Navy's scientists, engineers, and employees in similar fields will reach eligible retirement by 2020.

Mabus told Fox News this could mean trouble down the line:

"Right now [the U.S.] are the leaders in technology -- military and otherwise -- but there are some concerning signs on the horizon that we are not filling up the pipeline."

Bill Nye, known across America as "The Science Guy," will be delivering the event's keynote speech. He told Fox News that Navy's concerns aren't an exaggeration:

"People are allowed to graduate not knowing much algebra or science. This is a very serious problem. The United States has achieved world eminence through this innovation. But if the U.S. doesn't innovate it will fall behind."

Comments

[Cream of the PLANETEARTH]

10:15 AM on 06/19/2011

After I read an article like this, I'm always left wondering why no specifics are ever mentioned. How will this money be invested exactly? Are we talking about strengthening the STEM curriculum in the PS system? Are we talking about specialized schools or programs for youngsters who express a special interest and demonstrate strength in these fields? Are we talking about building STEM centric academies?

[Virginia Dobson]

01:23 AM on 06/19/2011

I had the privilege to hear Bill Nye speak at Georgia Tech and dare us students to change the world. I completely agree that innovation and the American ingenuity that made this country great will pull us back up. We just have to focus on practical fields that give us the skills to compete.

[Jason Vineyard]

12:39 PM on 06/18/2011

ok then stop cutting local and state education budgets! how hard is it to add 2+2

[Shain Eighmey]

10:35 AM on 06/18/2011

This is good to hear, as I happen to believe that the money we spend on STEM education has some of the best returns. They're a bit hard to calculate, but even the kids who don't become Scientists, Engineers, Programmers, or Mathematicians contribute a great deal simply by being well informed and able to make educated judgments about the world around them in many practical situations.

[Roxee]

06:42 AM on 06/18/2011

Hopefully Michelle Bachmann won't become president so that future applicants to the navy won't have been educated in schools that teach Intelligent Design as science!

[Edward Luisser]

02:02 AM on 06/18/2011

Hope those Navy guys don't forget to administer those 'personality' tests the DoD is so fond of. The ones that causes them to insist that the non-spiritual, non-religious (ie atheists) are unfit to be soldiers. Gotta' catch the kids while they're young... ( I guess they *do* believe there are atheists in foxholes.)

[frank day]

07:52 PM on 06/17/2011

My son is doing PLTW/STEM at his school.

Exciting and motivating.

[Parents4Magnolia]

06:19 PM on 06/17/2011

For a couple of years, we have been only hearing news about lack of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, and complaints about students not being motivated in math and science.

What I only care is whether the school really inspires our kids for the STEM education or not. That’s obviously what we need for our country. The rest is pointless..

http://parents4magnolia.org/2011/03/12/stem-education-at-magnolia-schools/

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

04:44 PM on 06/17/2011

Follow the money. The best and brightest are going to wall st.The problem will continue until the pay those who design and discover is on par with gamblers on WS.

[carlgt1]

06:33 AM on 06/18/2011

Maybe WS should offshore or bring in cheap workers under the H1B vis program - this is why STEM salaries are crap! It just doesn't makejg any sense - if STEM American workers are so rare - why are job opportunities so crap?

[umbrarchist]

03:22 PM on 06/17/2011

How many scientists and engineers say they were inspired and motivared by science fiction as kids? So why aren't grade school kids told about selected scientific sci-fi after all these years?

There is material available for free now and we have cheap computers to access it.

All Day September by Roger Kuykendall
http://www.feedbooks.com/book/2295/all-day-september

THE YEAR WHEN STARDUST FELL by Raymond F. Jones
http://winstonscifi.blogspot.com/2010/04/synopsis-for-year-when-stardust-fell-by.html

The Fourth R : George O. Smith
http://www.onread.com/book/The-Fourth-R-17950/

Science fiction today isn't like it was in the 50s and early 60s. The writing may be better but the science is probably worse. They don't care if it is actually fantasy.

There is more stuff to suggest also.

Teach Yourself Electricity and Electronics, by Stan Gibilisco
http://www.mhprofessional.com/product.php?isbn=0071459332

Celestia: space simulation of the universe in 3D
http://www.shatters.net/celestia/

GeoGebra: Interactive graphics, algebra and spreadsheet
http://www.geogebra.org/cms/

Solve Elec: draw and analyze electrical circuits
http://www.physicsbox.com/indexsolveelec2en.html

Logisim: Digital logic circuit simulator
http://sourceforge.net/projects/circuit/

[frank day]

07:50 PM on 06/17/2011

Thanks !

Great list.

[gtp]

02:43 PM on 06/17/2011

Sorry Mr. Navy guy. We here in America no longer believe in education. It's a sin to study meteorology, climatology, oceanography, and other earth sciences. Even though all of those disciplines are crucial to the Navy mission, we would rather get our science from Rush, Sean, and Sarah.

[Shain Eighmey]

10:32 AM on 06/18/2011

Don't forget about Biology. I have no idea what I will do if we manage to elect a significant number of people who actually don't believe in the fundamental theory underlying our entire field. The only intelligent designing I see happens in the lab, and even then it's often confounded by the massive power of evolutionary community interactions.