A new report emphasizes that successful STEM learning relies on the development of "strong reasoning and problem-solving skills" and not "just knowledge of facts." The report examines the various barriers to early STEM learning; however, as Education Week bloggers Jill Berkowicz and Ann Myers point out, one of the biggest barriers to early STEM learning is  the "frequent neglect of spatial [skill] development." Berkowicz and Myers amend the report's findings to "highlight the ways in which spatial development directly relates to [the report's authors'] broader early STEM discussion.

Read the full story here.

Traveling Science Museum Aims To Get More Girls Involved In STEM

The effort to recruit more girls and get them excited about STEM is taking on all shapes and forms. Together, Emerson and Texas Alliance for Minorities in Engineering along with their Trailblazer, "a forty-foot trailer filled with interactive exhibits," is making stops at schools to encourage girls to pursue careers in STEM. According to a KVUE report, "women make up less than half of the industry and the numbers get smaller as you break down each field." The traveling museum is an ingenious way to get girls excited about STEM, and hopefully that excitement will stay with them and motivate them to pursue a future STEM career.

Learn more about it here.

The Next Generation of Hidden Figures  

Hidden Figures was as a huge box office hit that highlighted the contributions of some of the most important female figures in science. The film has resonated with "girls and young women, particularly those also racially underrepresented in STEM" because of its powerful message that they "can do anything they set their mind to." 

The film may or may not win the Academy Award for Best Picture, but it will hopefully inspire more women of color to become involved in STEM.

Read the full story here.

Massachusetts Investing Heavily In STEM

With the future seeming ever-so-bright in STEM, Massachusetts is taking notice. The state is investing $39 million behind STEM education at all levels. 

"Governor Baker and the Massachusetts Life Science Center (MLSC) will award $39 million in capital financing for research centers and life sciences training facilities at colleges, universities, middle schools and high schools across Massachusetts," according to CivSource.

The money will go towards programs, facilities and the proper tools that will help students better understand the world of STEM education and the endless career possibilities that go along with it.

Learn more about the STEM investment here.

Compiled by, Navindra Persaud, Education World Contributor.