The 'G' in STEM

Geography is a STEM subject.

STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, and STEM is the focus of an enormous amount of educational effort, across the U.S. and abroad. The basic idea is that STEM education is vital to the success of individual students and the technological and economic progress of our society. STEM encompasses a broad array of subjects, although this point bears repeating. The STEM Education Coalition calls for "An inclusive definition and use of the term “STEM education” by federal and state programs that is not limited to only math and science, but also embraces engineering and technology, and broadly encompasses related STEM fields and their unique needs."

I had an opportunity recently to highlight Geography's STEM credentials at the "Get Energized! Powering the Future with Green STEM Education" event hosted by the Boston Youth Environmental Network (BYEN) at the Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology in Boston. The purpose of this event was to draw attention to teaching about sustainability, renewable energy, and clean technology concepts and careers. I was invited to set up an interactive demonstration for the exhibition session, and also to participate as a panelist in a session on Pathways into Green STEM Careers.

It isn't hard to demonstrate how Geography is both a STEM subject and a promising ('Green') career pathway, especially when it involves geospatial technology (e.g. digital maps, GPS, satellite imagery). I demonstrated the use of ArcGIS, a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) program, for the siting of wind turbines in Massachusetts. I adapted this from an exercise I've used for both my undergraduate and graduate GIS students. You can see screenshots of the process in the slideshow, although we did it interactively at the event. MassGIS has an online Wind Energy Site Screening Tool that lets you interactively explore a similar process. My goal was to highlight how a spatial approach and perspective - combining geospatial technology and an understanding of human-environment interactions (core aspects of Geography) - supports sustainable, green development. It can be lucrative too. A recent article in Science Careers entitled "The New Cartographers" highlighted the nation's need for a ready supply of graduates in GIS and related fields. This echoes analyses by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Geospatial analysis is a sub-discipline of Geography, and Geography, and the STEM aspects of Geography, are more than geospatial technology. Geography has many definitions, but a common aspect is its spatial perspective - across social and physical phenomena - and interest in "big picture" relationships, especially human-environment relationships. Geography has long been recognized as a core discipline, but that recognition hasn't always been robust. Of nine areas listed as core academic subjects in the No Child Left Behind Act, geography is the only one that has no dedicated federal funding program. In Massachusetts, Geography education has gotten short shrift. However, the Massachusetts Geographic Alliance has been spearheading an effort to establish a state-sanctioned Commission on Geography Education to study the status of geography education in Massachusetts and make recommendations to the legislature. Ideally, this effort will result in reinstatement of Geography education in K-12 education throughout the Commonwealth. National Geographic has been leading a parallel effort at the national level in its campaign for "geo-literacy."

Given the national interest in STEM education, and Geography's solid STEM identity, it seems strange to have to plead Geography's case. But the work must be done.