It’s official! Architecture is now recognized as STEM.
It’s something we have secretly known all along: Architecture is the educational equivalent to eating broccoli and goji berries.
Let us explain…
What does this mean? Well, for the first time, the legislation officially considers architecture a part of STEM education. As anyone involved in education knows, STEM learning has been a hot topic in schools and universities. The world needs more problem solvers, and learning how to construct buildings and design urban environments using architectural scaled model tools is a great way to develop these skills. Here’s what Robert Ivy, FAIA, EVP/Chief Executive Officer of the American Institute of Architects said about the news: “After years of discussion by architects and educators, AIA is pleased that its lobbying efforts have succeeded and that the bill on Career Technical Education has passed. It will encourage a more diverse workforce, fulfil the promise of design as the synthesis of art and science, and affect the fundamental change in education curricula.”
For us, that’s the most exciting thing about the bill; architecture is the meeting point of several disciplines. You need to be good at science, understand technology, have a good grasp of engineering, be comfortable with numbers – and of course, have an imagination! That’s exactly what we aim to encourage with our educational scaled model building kits, and we’re thrilled that this is being encouraged within education.
Most importantly, this latest bill will open up the world of architecture to a new generation of students and better prepare them for careers in architecture with the future possibilities of federal grants for curriculum updates and more support in schools for budding creators. We’ll certainly continue to do everything we can to champion this incredible subject!
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