The impact of STEAM on the advancement and betterment of human lives is undeniable. Not only are we more connected than ever, but we have been able to treat and cure illnesses and solve some of the global issues that have extended our life expectancies and improved our quality of life. But so much still needs to be done so that all humans can live joyful, accessible and sustainable futures. STEAM educators have the opportunity to leverage real-world scenarios in order to teach empathy to their students and help them think more compassionately when it comes to understanding global and community issues.
Why is empathy important in STEAM?
The global issues we face today often disproportionately exacerbate inequity and injustice for the most marginalized groups. While STEAM can be used to help solve these issues, empathy allows students to think outside of themselves and focus on those who are negatively impacted the greatest. This enables them to not only better understand the perspectives and needs of others, but also find the STEAM content they are learning to be more meaningful or purposeful for the good of society. Embedding empathy into STEAM education helps students develop emotional intelligence and become more civically engaged citizens.
Want to learn about how you can foster empathy in your STEAM classroom? Join us at the 10th Annual California STEAM Symposium on October 1-2. Register with the JOINME22 discount code for $50 off.
This is why we’re excited to attend The California STEAM Symposium in Anaheim, California on October 1-2. The theme for this year’s Symposium is Advance Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion in STEAM: Access, Awareness, Opportunities, & Outcomes. Our workshop, Using Empathy to Guide Human-Centered Engineering Design on October 1, 10:30 – 11:15am PT, aligns with this year’s theme because we believe that empathy is the first step to advancing equity.
In this workshop, educators will learn about the Engineering for Good Youth Media Challenge, which is a project-based unit that engages middle and high school students in the human-centered engineering design process. As students design creative STEAM solutions that will positively impact the lives of those impacted and disrupt patterns of injustice, they will create media to communicate their solutions and have the opportunity to share on our Youth Media Challenge Showcase, a public online platform.
Find us at The California STEAM Symposium at booth 605 or one of our sessions.
We are excited to present this workshop and be in person to connect about the ways STEAM educators are fostering empathy in their classrooms and learning environments. Find us at our booth #605. Can’t wait to see some of you there!