Show notes: Braska Williams is the NC MSEN Pre-College Program Coordinator at NC State University in Raleigh, NC. MSEN stands for Math Science Education Network, which is a state-wide pre-college STEM program for middle and high school students. Your state or region might have something similar to foster the pursuit of STEM careers among K-12 students.

Myrna is a work-at-home mom. Their two girls have both chosen to pursue STEM studies in college. The oldest, Martia (Tia, for short) is studying Math Education. And the youngest, Breeyonna (AKA Bree) is planning on pursuing an engineering degree in Fall 2020.

During this month’s episode, we discuss your child’s destiny and the role that you can plan in helping guide them through career preparation and selection. This is key for both STEM and non-STEM career exploration.

Exposing children to a variety of experiences from an early age is important. This kind of exploration doesn’t have to be boring or expensive. One of the Williams’ family’s favorite early memories was a trip to a children’s museum in Charleston, SC.

Things to try together include:

• Visit childrens’ museums. Check out this list from Mommy Nearest.
• Get each person in the family a public library card. Most libraries have free STEM-centric programming and reading challenges for children, especially during the summer months.
• Explore free online resources. Websites like Makerspace.com and Instructables have STEM-focused activities for all ages and skill levels (including kid+parent teams).
• Have a regular family night. Play board games. Experiment with new recipes. Get to know each other better.
• Plan a family trip together. Start small and make it a goal to do a trip each year.

Other terms mentioned in this episode:

• Future Cities
• First Robotics Lego(R) League

You might also find help on our resources page. Subscribe and download our free STEM Dreams Parent Guide. Contrary to popular belief, your kids’ STEM Dreams don’t have to be expensive. And oh yeah, STEM stuff is not just for boys.

Interested in setting up a mini STEM center (makerspace) in your home? Download this checklist.

Help spread the word:
If you enjoyed this episode, please let us know in the comments below. Do you have questions? Use the contact form to reach out to us.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast; we release an episode each month.

Show Sponsor:

STEM Dreams podcast is sponsored by Wildlands Engineering, a water resources engineering firm in Charlotte, North Carolina. Wildlands is dedicated to increasing diversity in engineering and environmental sciences like geology and ecology.

Wildlands, thank you for helping us help the next generation of STEM dreamers.

Credits: Show sound effects and music was sourced from FreeSound.org.

His STEM bio: Paul is currently a verification Engineer with Cirrus Logic. He has a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology.

He has been an electrical engineer for more than 20 years, verifying microchips as well as building and developing test environments for pre-silicon validation of designs.

Born in Nigeria, Paul now works in the Austin, Texas area. He’s a husband and dad.

Show notes: In this episode, Linda talks with fellow NC State College of Engineering alum, Paul Adeleke. Paul discusses how his high school years in Nigeria influenced his choice for electrical engineering. He shares his thoughts on studying engineering and becoming a better student.

Co-hosts, Linda and Claude, discussed how parents can help their children discover their niche or place in engineering. Check out the links below to investigate how you as a parent (or grandparent) can encourage your student/s.

• http://www.discovere.org/
• http://www.egfi-k12.org/index_noflash.php

You might also find help on our resources page. Subscribe and download our free STEM Dreams Parent Guide. Contrary to popular belief, your kids’ STEM Dreams don’t have to be expensive.

Help spread the word:
If you enjoyed this episode, please let us know in the comments below. Do you have questions? Use the contact form to reach out to us.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast; we release an episode each month.

Show Sponsor:

STEM Dreams podcast is sponsored by Wildlands Engineering, a water resources engineering firm in Charlotte, North Carolina. Wildlands is dedicated to increasing diversity in engineering and environmental sciences like geology and ecology.

Wildlands, thank you for helping us help the next generation of STEM dreamers.

Credits: Show sound effects and music was sourced from FreeSound.org.

Pi in STEM Dreams vernacular stands for Parental Involvement. We created the STEM “Pi Guide” for parents who want to guide their students along the STEM pipeline but aren’t sure how.

Every kid can benefit from exposure to STEM subjects. And every parent can become more involved as a STEM gatekeeper. Yes, even those parents who were scared of science, technology, engineering and math as a kid.

Try our guide. It’s short and concise. And it’s FREE. Get your guide today.

Photo credit: Image by 445693 from Pixabay

In-home exposure to STEM-focused activities, books, and resources can make a huge difference, especially if parents lead the way. Parents have the power to foster an environment of discovery and feed a child’s curiosity about STEM.

STEM Dreams is devoted to cultivating STEM awareness for parents and caregivers. Our free STEM Readiness Guide is a great place to start.