STEM Career Events Inspire Los Altos School District Junior High Students  

“Thank you for making me curious about my impact on the world and what I will choose it to be,” proclaimed one Blach Junior High School student after an inspiring presentation from a General Electric engineer. 

At Los Altos School District (LASD) STEM Career events, students focused on how those in STEM-related careers are using their skills to create a better world and help others.  STEM Career Day is designed to inform and encourage young people to pursue opportunities--both educationally and professionally--that exist in various STEM disciplines. In their science classrooms, students had the opportunity to engage with local professionals, learn more about their jobs and imagine the breadth of possibilities in STEM-related careers.  

	Gokul Krishnan discusses Maker Therapy at STEM Career Night

Over 200 students, parents and teachers participated in LASD’s STEM Career Night as impressive local professionals described how their STEM careers make a difference.  Gokul Krishnan, Founder of Maker Therapy discussed how his innovations help those who are critically ill.  Using drone technology to deliver blood in Rwanda, Paul Perry described his work as a mechanical engineer at Zipline International, Inc.  Suzan Briganti, owner of the enterprise software company, Swarm Vision, shared how she helps companies become more innovative to solve current and future problems.

Education in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), as well as computer science are vital components of the academic program in LASD and considered the most critical disciplines for success in the 21^st Century workplace.  STEM Career Day and Night help connect lessons in the classroom to engaging careers and provide real-world examples of how honing these skills lead to exciting futures.

An innovator in education, LASD launched its STEM program 5 years ago with donations from the Los Altos Education Foundation (LAEF), the parent and community-funded school district foundation. STEM is integrated throughout the district, providing essential critical thinking, problem solving and creativity skills that are proven to propel student success and prepare them for the demanding and exciting careers of the future. Hands-on and project-based STEM education inspires a love of learning, creativity and critical thinking among local students. 

	Ivette Loredo led an activity for students to learn about her career with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

“LASD is on the forefront of education because our community is dedicated to student learning and academic excellence,” said Heather Macdonald, Executive Director of LAEF.  “Parent interest and donations to create the STEM program five years ago put our district out in front in terms of the hands-on learning and rigorous STEM educational standards that the State of California is just beginning to implement now.”

LASD’s STEM Coordinator, Karen Wilson stated, “the power of STEM Career events is connecting the hands-on learning in the classroom to students’ dreams about their futures and allowing them to truly visualize the possibilities of future careers in STEM-related disciplines.  STEM education emphasizes the role of experimentation, of evidence-based conclusions and the role of failure as a necessary component of learning and skill-building.  With STEM Career events, our students learn that these experiences aren’t just occurring in junior high classrooms, but are essential components of the adult lives they will lead in their future jobs.”

Student inspiration was evident in the thank you cards they wrote to the presenters.  One student noted, “I thought the presentation was very inspiring.  It inspired me to do something for the world.  Your job is really cool.”