Outreach Beyond K-12
Chris posted this weekend about his experiences at Maker Faire, and the idea of STEAM instead of STEM. On my own blog, I’ve talked a bit about my involvement in the steampunk community. (No idea what steampunk is? Check out Girl Genius for an example) Generally, at least in my region, it’s a group with backgrounds predominantly in visual art, music, theatre and literature, but with a strong interest in science and engineering. However, in many cases, they never got into science in school. So why do I care about outreach to the arts? Well, I find it hard to resist an interested audience that will let me lecture at length and asks great questions. I also care because science literacy is important for everyone, and if it’s in the context of dirigibles and boiler engines, so be it. By being able to put information in context, it becomes more interesting to your…