By: New Futuro

This is the deal! It stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics—but why is it such a buzzword in education these days? Well, there’s a lot of opportunity in STEM fields. As the world continues to become more technologically advanced, there are more jobs being created in these areas. In another one of our articles we discussed how universities, namely Cornell University, are reaching out to recruit Latino students as well as other underrepresented groups into their STEM programs. Ahead, we highlight some recent strides made to encourage Latino involvement in STEM education paths and careers.

Bigger Picture
There has definitely been a push by colleges and universities around the country to get more people involved in these programs, but a much bigger organization has taken on the initiative in recent years. The Obama administration has enacted a plan to increase STEM education standards, the number of Americans in STEM jobs, and the number of underrepresented groups in these fields. New incentive programs are being created to improve the teachers of STEM subjects in America in order to increase STEM competency nationwide.

The US Department of Education has made tremendous efforts to increase the amount of STEM degrees and jobs in America.

In addition to these efforts and others, the Obama administration is committing $9.5 million for the Minority Science and Engineering Improvement program and $100 million in mandatory funds in 2012 for the Hispanic-serving Institutions (HSIs) STEM and Articulation program. The effort is designed to increase the number of Hispanic and other low-income students attaining degrees in STEM fields while developing a model of transfer and articulation agreements between the 2-year and 4-year HSIs in such fields.

How you fit in!
As you can see, there are huge steps toward not only increasing STEM jobs and education in America, but also efforts towards more Latino involvement in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. So where do you fit in? You’re the missing piece in this picture! All the other pieces are falling into place.

There are also efforts made by other contributors as well as colleges and universities in the form of scholarships, encouraging Latinos pursuing STEM careers.

So when you’re considering which path to take in college, take a look at the options. The number of fulfilling and well-paid jobs in these fields are increasing, the only thing you need to do is find the one that fits you and begin your journey!