As policymakers, educators, employers, and the public increasingly recognize the importance of giving students a strong education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), many new initiatives are seeking to strengthen learning in these fields. While most efforts address the STEM disciplines separately, there are growing calls to emphasize the connections between and among these subjects.

Advocates of more connected approaches argue that teaching STEM subjects in a more integrated way, especially in the context of real-world issues, can make these fields more relevant to students and ultimately increase their motivation and achievement. Currently, however, there is little research on how best to integrate the STEM disciplines or on what factors make integration more likely to foster positive outcomes.

In 2012, the National Academy of Engineering and the Board on Science Education of the National Research Council convened a committee to examine approaches to integrated STEM education, review evidence on student outcomes, and identify research priorities going forward. Their findings are summarized in the 2014 report: STEM Integration in K-12 Education: Status, Prospects, and an Agenda for Research.

Please join us starting at 11:30 on June 12 for a discussion of key issues relevant to integration in K-12 STEM education. Members of project committee will synthesize findings from the report related to outcomes, implementation, and research. They will be joined by local STEM education experts, who will share their own views of these issues. Audience participation will be encouraged.

Lunch will be provided at the start of the program, and copies of the report will be handed out when the event concludes at 4 p.m.

Registration is required and space is limited.

Use the hashtag #iSTEM on Twitter to share your thoughts and ask questions during the event.