Every year since 2021, Gov. Roy Cooper has declared April STEM Education Month in order to showcase STEM educators and the positive impacts STEM has on students and the world. STEM is a set of educational disciplines and stands for science, technology, engineering, and math. STEM has been a part of society since ancient times, and even more so in our modern, technology driven world.

STEM education not only helps students learn more about the world around them, it also instills several “soft skills” that can help them throughout their lives. STEM fields value and encourage innovation. In order to have innovation, there must be creativity and exploration. STEM education often embodies the 4-H methodology of “learning by doing”, by utilizing hands-on activities instead of memorization or lectures. This method also builds problem solving skills. As students try out a technique and meet challenges, they are encouraged to think critically and find solutions themselves, with guidance if needed. This not only teaches them the process of problem solving, but gives youth the experience and confidence to use these processes later on in their lives when they face challenges. This trial-and-error process reduces fear of failure and instills resiliency in youth. Often STEM activities are collaborative, creating opportunities to practice teamwork and build communication skills. As our world becomes more technologically advanced and dependent, technological literacy has become more and more of a necessity. Experience through STEM education can give students the knowledge and foundation they need to navigate our electronic society. These are all key skills that are often used daily throughout a person’s life. STEM is also an expanding and advancing job field that holds many promising careers for students.

Richmond County 4-H is participating in STEM Education Month a few different ways. Science Adventures is a week-long event in April that is highly anticipated every year. 5^th grade classes from across Richmond County spend a day at Millstone 4-H Camp to learn from local experts in different STEM fields. Each expert presenter will give a 30-minute, interactive presentation, then the classes rotate to a new presenter until they see them all. This year students will be learning about a variety of subjects, from robotics, to snakes, to race cars. The purpose of Science Adventures is to highlight the real-world applications of science to spark students’ interest and show how what they are learning goes beyond the classroom. On a more regular basis, Richmond County 4-H has a STEAM club. This club is STEM plus art, which creates the acronym STEAM. The STEAM club meets about once a month to do hands on STEAM activities or take field trips to learn from STEM experts. Lastly, Richmond County 4-H partners with local elementary schools to engage students in STEM and Science Literacy programs through the CYFAR Program. This program brings STEM curriculum to students both in the classroom and in afterschool programs for students grade 2-5 through exciting hands on activities on subjects like the power of wind, electricity, robotics, and more.

STEM is a rapidly growing and changing field, and it impacts our youth daily. For more information on Richmond County 4-H and its STEM education, including clubs, Summer Fun activities and more, or how to get involved as a 4-H volunteer, please contact Erin Barnes, 4-H agent, N.C. Cooperative Extension, Richmond County Center, at erin_barnes@ncsu.edu or call 910-206-9542. Visit our website at Richmond.ces.ncsu.edu and follow us on Facebook, North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Richmond County Center.