With the goal of increasing the number of students graduating universities with degrees in engineering, a United States senator has proposed an initiative designed to increase US high school students’ access to advanced math and science courses.                    

Democratic senator Jeanne Shaheen, of New Hampshire, speaking at an event in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, reintroduced the Innovation Inspiration School Grant Program, a plan to expose US high school students to a curriculum more weighted with science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) courses, which she calls essential starting points for greater opportunity and better paying jobs in the future.

“Science, technology, engineering and math are the skills that drive innovation, and the next generation of American workers must be proficient in these skills for the U.S. to maintain its competitive edge,” said Senator Shaheen.

According to information released by the Senator’s office:

…the Innovation Inspiration School Grant Program will allow secondary schools to compete for U.S. Department of Education grants to support non-traditional STEM education. It encourages schools to establish partnerships with the private sector, both for material support and to provide mentors who can serve as role models, further enriching students’ learning experiences.

Members of several local FIRST student robotics teams joined the lawmakers at a demonstration and taught them to operate several robots. The founder of FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Dean Kamen was also present.