What is STEAM?You have probably noticed that your children are interested in video games, assembling or disassembling things, understanding how objects work, how products are made in factories, or how they can take care of the environment. All of these interests have a STEAM component; when they think about them and put them into practice, they are developing skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.STEAM, by its English initials, is an acronym that brings together science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics in a single project (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics).When did it emerge?STEAM originated in the United States in the 1990s as a way to bring students at all educational levels closer to scientific careers and to encourage girls to see these disciplines as part of their future education.Why is it important?STEAM in your children’s education promotes the search for solutions to global and local problems by integrating the five disciplines into a single solution. The goal is for your children to develop thinking skills—to be more critical, more creative, more expressive, and more aware of the resources they have and how to use them responsibly, without harming the environment or other people.How can I carry out STEAM activities?Observe your surroundings and reuse materials to create. You don’t need expensive kits to create hundreds of projects at home from scratch. You can use reused materials or materials that others no longer need—this is the best option.Spark your creativity. Focus on finding solutions to everyday problems in simple things and follow your curiosity. Start at home: see if the bathroom soap could have a new dispenser made by you, if the towel basket could be made from other materials, or if you can sync your phone with an app to turn lights on and off.Stay flexible with the activities your children want to develop. When they come up with an idea for an individual or family activity, ask what they want to achieve and support their ideas, as long as they do not harm themselves or others.Listen to your children. Pay attention to what they say, how they tell it, who is involved in their stories, and remember the details. This helps them know they can count on you to carry out different activities.Connect with what they like. Take an interest in what’s trending and identify the positive aspects of what attracts their attention.Talk about the environment. From time to time, ask them what they expect for the environment in the future and how they see the place where they live in five or ten years.Ask questions. Use open-ended questions to boost their creativity—for example, what they could do to save water, use electricity more efficiently, or eat more naturally at home.Work on projects together. Building on the previous point, you can create long-term plans at home, such as a rooftop garden, an energy-saving plan, or a rainwater collection system. Sometimes these projects can also involve the community—for example, a plan so that all neighbors dispose of trash properly and with correct separation.Use the devices you have at home. Choose an app and start using it daily—one that helps you improve something you’re interested in. Then share it with your children; they will see you engaging with current tools and may share tips with you.Explore programming and robotics. Programming and building robots online can be especially engaging for children. STEAM can be part of their daily lives. A simple way to start is by observing your surroundings and identifying how what you see involves these five disciplines, and how people planned, designed, tested, and evaluated it.Carrying out activities that integrate the five STEAM disciplines strengthens family bonds and supports your children’s learning.At our school, children learn by doing—discovering and creating solutions for the future. They experience active learning by integrating different areas of knowledge that support the development of life skills. The STEAM approach is present in hands-on laboratories, applying knowledge to real-life situations.
