VOA常速英语:美国希望学生选择STEM专业以强大国力

Cyree Beckett is a junior at the University of District of Columbia studying Electrical Engineering. I chose STEM because it seemed to be the right path for me, based off of my family values. It’s the really the best way to go in terms of gaining an education and doing something relevant in the world. Unlike Beckett, most American Student of his age prefer to study anything but STEM: science, technology, engineering and math. According to a recent report by Forbes, STEM departments in U.S. colleges have plenty of students, but many are foreign, and education experts worried not enough are Americans. American University’s director of graduate teacher education program Carolyn Parker says, images that portray scientists and mathematicians as nerds discouraged teenagers at a time of life when self-image is important.

They don’t entice students to want to become involved. There’s a, there’s you look at programs like the Big Bang Theory and you know scientists are nerds. To recruit more American students in STEM fields, the White House five-year strategic plan tries to remove social and financial barriers to a rewarding education and technical fields. University of District of Columbia’s Engineering School’s Dean Devdas Shetty believes many students avoid STEM, because they think they have better options. They see opportunities in sports, opportunities in philosophy or history or arts, and they see examples of people excelling the TV influences a lot. Parker believes that to compete with countries like China and India, the country needs to encourage STEM education at young age. Make sure that students from the time they’re in early childhood to elementary school to middle school to high school through college and going out into higher education, and the workforce have strong and, and positive STEM experiences, so that we can remain competitive with countries like China and India. Cyree Beckett believes that support and encouragement from his family is what pushed him to choose STEM, and it is something he wishes for every student selecting a field of study.
For Sahar Majid in Washington. This is Bezhan Hamdard, VOA News.