• In 1957 the Soviet Union launched Sputnik

• This scared Americans because the Eisenhower administration had always been telling the American people that the Soviets were too dumb to make anything like ICBMs.

• Americans looked at their education system and asked why have we not surpassed the Soviets?

• Americans demanded that something needed to be done and so the STEM Initiative was created.

STEM Initiative

• The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics was created to counter the Soviet advancements in technology and is still in action today.

• The STEM Education Coalition represents all sectors of the technological workforce – from knowledge workers, to educators, to scientists, engineers, and technicians.

STEM Initiative

• Colleges still provide scholarships for many students who show an interest in one of these fields of study

• They also provide scholarships for those who want to teach one of these fields –This includes College, High School, and even Middle School teachers

• S.T.E.M. Opportunities

The STEM Initiative and You

Was it right for the government to keep this information hidden? Can the American people handle this sort of information? How does it make you feel that the government is still pushing these areas of study onto students in high schools today?

In the 1950s, the American public was given false information about how advanced the Soviets were when it came to technology. The government did this so as to not cause a panic. They began to emphasize math and science in school so they could attempt to catch up to the Soviets.