“Science and the arts... are manifestations of the same thing. The arts and sciences are avatars of human creativity.” -Mae Jemison, physician and NASA astronaut

“Science and the arts... are manifestations of the same thing. The arts and sciences are avatars of human creativity.” -Mae Jemison, physician and NASA astronaut

What role does creativity play in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)? John Maeda, president of the Rhode Island School of Design, believes the arts are the missing component in the STEM curriculum. He leads the initiative to turn STEM into STEAM.

In his article for Edutopia, “STEM to STEAM: Art in K–12 Is Key to Building a Strong Economy,” he points out that, for years, education leaders hailed STEM education as the key to spurring innovation and reaching the national goals of economic prosperity, clean energy and international competitiveness. However, he says, STEM alone is not enough to foster innovation.

Lisa Phillips, author of The Artistic Edge: 7 Skills Children Need to Succeed in an Increasingly Right Brain World, concurs. In her article for The Washington Post, “Top 10 Skills Children Learn from the Arts,” she offers the following list:

Art education fosters creativity and encourages innovation, problem-solving and creative thinking. By incorporating hands-on, student-centered STEAM activities into the curriculum, after school leaders can strengthen students’ skills and help them grow to become tomorrow’s STEAM leaders.

To learn more about STEM to STEAM, visit http://stemtosteam.org.