STEAM Programs in Missouri

There is a lack of research measuring student outcomes from STEAM education - the integration of art into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (Aguilera 2021; Perignat 2019; NASEM 2018).

• Arts education alone can improve creativity, innovation, critical thinking, and collaboration, which are skills that benefit science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers (Burton 2020; Perignat 2019).
• Nobel laureates in science are 2x as likely as other scientists to be photographers or musicians, and 15-20x as likely to participate in crafts such as wood working, creative writing, or performance art (Root-Bernstein 2015).

Missouri has several professional development (PD) programs to train teachers to integrate art into their lessons (Table 1) and educational programs to introduce children to STEAM activities (Table 2; Supplemental Table 1).

• Out-of-school program hosts include universities, science centers, museums, and libraries.
• Some PreK–12 schools emphasize STEAM in their curricula (e.g., STEAM Academy, Community School).

Table 1. Non-exhaustive list of MO PD programs that train educators to integrate art into STEM education.

Table 2. Non-exhaustive list of MO STEAM programs and summer camps for children.