STEM, the arts and young people

Young people are calling for changes in education and taxation to encourage better connection between science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects and the arts, according to a newly published report by the British Science Association, supported by UNBOXED.

Teenagers argued that structural changes are needed in both the education system and government funding to encourage meaningful collaboration between STEM and creative disciplines.

When asked to rank five options in order of effectiveness, the surveyed 14 to 18-year-olds chose ‘Government tax-breaks to companies’ as the leading incentive to encourage collaboration, citing the current economic climate as the main motive behind this choice.

Young people also placed great importance on the role of schools and colleges in encouraging a combined approach to the teaching of STEM and arts subjects. Participants felt that educators are uniquely placed to reach out to children to achieve the cognitive shift needed to nurture interdisciplinary collaboration in future generations.

The report Creativity in STEM: young people's views on using collective collaboration to build a better future is the outcome of research conducted by the British Science Association (BSA) in partnership with UNBOXED, as part of their Future Forums. These BSA-run programmes work with young people across the UK to understand their views on the role of STEAM within their lives, and the potential of creative collaboration across different disciplines in making a positive impact on our futures.

You can read a copy of the full report here.