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statistics that jump out at me relating for two different groups of students. they had to account for costs, efficiency,
to STEM fields. “Between 2017 and During this program, students met and stability based on passing certain
2027, the number of STEM jobs one night a week on Zoom with the tests. These and the other tasks they
will grow 13 percent, compared to mentors. The structure of the program were given had students collaborating
9 percent for non-STEM jobs—with consisted of a pair of mentors working in a way which seemed more
positions in computing, engineering, with students in back to back weeks. representative of what we were used
and advanced manufacturing leading During the first week, they would to seeing in our “normal” classroom
the way”(Education Commission of share their background with the atmosphere.
the States). According to the Pew students, give them the opportunity The feedback from the mentors and the
Research Center, “Overall, since 1990, to ask questions, and introduce them kids was extremely positive. When de-
employment in STEM occupations has to a project/task. Before the following briefing with the group of mentors, they
grown 79%—increasing from 9.7 million week’s meeting, students were spoke very highly of the students. Some
to 17.3 million.” (Pew Research) As a required to complete the project/task of the common reflections focused
school and district, we have ensured with the help of their group members on the level of interest the students
that all of our students are exposed to in order to be prepared for the next showed, the critical thinking questions
STEM related experiences within our session. This collaboration piece was they asked, and the way they were able
curriculum. However, with numbers extremely important to the structure to work together, even in the remote
such as these, we wanted to give some of the program as it enabled kids setting. Thoughts shared by students
of our most curious students even more to see that the workplace consists focused on preparation for the future. “It
exposure to STEM related fields. of teams of people trying to reach exposes you to many different careers
Using this information, I focused on a goal. It made our students set up in STEM.” “It will help you look at differ-
putting together a mentoring program their own meeting times, try, fail, ent options for high school.” “You get a
where STEM based professionals could and learn from their mistakes, and lot of useful information that will help you
connect with our 8th grade students to engage in conversations where there decide what you want to pursue when
expose them to future career choices. was productive struggle. Our goal as you get to college.” Hearing this positive
In the past, the easiest way to make this educators is to prepare our kids for feedback excites me for expanding the
connection was through a school wide the future, so these were all real world program for the future.
career day. As has been done at many learning experiences that students will What I’ve learned from this program is
schools, students get a chance to hear be able to reflect on in the future. that our students are innately curious
a professional speak about their job, Throughout the duration of the program, and interested in learning. Especially
answer a couple of questions, then that we had 40 students who consistently at the middle school level, we have
is more than likely the last time students attended and participated in the to foster that curiosity and give
interact with that professional. I wanted weekly sessions and a wide variety of students the opportunities to act on it.
to offer more. I wanted our students to assignments. Students had to research I believe partnering them with these
not only hear the professionals speak, different health care roles such as professionals has opened them up
but to engage in activities and projects doctors, therapists, speech language to more possibilities and given them
that would expose them to more of pathologists, and dieticians and respond a head start on widening their own
the intricacies of their work and lead to to given scenarios based on their personal and professional network.
further exploration. expertise. With our chemist, students Even as we start to transition to a
With the help of my network learned how easy it was to extract DNA new “normal” where we do go back to
which includes doctors, nurses, from strawberries and further their own having more face to face interactions,
civil engineers, space engineers, understanding in creating experiments I hope all educators continue to reflect
chemists, computer programmers, of their own. While working with our civil on these “outside the box” methods to
and accountants, we were able to put engineers, students worked in teams to reach students, and incorporate a new
together a 7 week mentoring program construct 3 foot tall skyscrapers where level of creativity moving forward.

Resources
Graf, N., Fry, R., & Funk, C. (2020, August 21). 7 facts about the STEM workforce. Retrieved December 30, 2020, from
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/01/09/7-facts-about-the-stem-workforce/
Education Commission of the States. (n.d.). Retrieved December 30, 2020, from https://vitalsigns.ecs.org/state/United-
States/demand

About the Author
Chris Edwards (@MHKAdmin) is the 8th grade assistant principal at Kreps Middle School in East
Windsor, NJ, finishing his third year in administration. Previously, Chris spent time teaching 3rd-8th
grade students in Philadelphia and New Jersey, as well as coaching boys middle school and high school
basketball. Chris is committed to building positive relationships with every student that he encounters.

Educational Viewpoints -97- Spring 2021