Why STEM matters

Helping students better understand how the world works around them, STEM school subjects are more important than ever. But what is STEM, and how can you prepare your child to excel inside the classroom, and in life?

STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math education. Schools focus on these areas together because the skills and knowledge in each of these disciplines are highly related, and incredibly important for real life application. And at 3M, applying science to solve real world challenges is what we’re all about. So we’re committed to developing the STEM stars and scientists of the future.

To help do that, we’ve pulled together some key 3M products that can help fuel STEM success and created online resources to help you create a STEM-friendly environment at home. Here are a few:
 

• Make STEM fun: Showcase how STEM subjects relate to real life in fun ways with activities, games and projects to help students get excited about STEM.
• Picture This: A great way for many students to learn STEM subjects is through visual learning, like reading or seeing pictures. Post-it® Big Pads products are uniquely designed to help students visualize complex problems and display solutions on a large vertical display.
• Quiz Me: Use memory games and DIY tools such as flashcards and written study guides to help with STEM subjects at home.
• Read actively: As your child reads through notes or a textbook, encourage them to summarize information and make note of key facts on 3” x 3” lined Post-it ® Notes. Students can use the notes to create a "brain vault" of important ideas as they occur and then recall and review information more easily in the future.