What is STEAM?

STEAM education works to integrate creative, critical and artistic perspectives at the heart of Science, Technology. Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects. By including the ‘A’ of Art and Design, STEAM approaches value arts methodologies in the exploration of other core subjects.

However, Art and design processes are not just tools for learning or a bolt-on element but are at the root of promoting how we learn to be innovative, creative and expressive. It also seeks to learn through play, exploration and prospective thought in action: through making and collaborative projects.

“STEAM isn’t about simply ‘adding’ the arts to the equation or utilising a single element of art (design) in a lesson. It’s about looking for naturally-aligned standards between the Arts—all of them—and STEM content areas, and then teaching in and through those standards in a way that allows you to assess both.”

Susan Riley (Arts Integration Specialist and Founder of EducationCloset.com)

A global movement

STEAM in education is a global movement seeking to challenge educational ideas that marginalise creative and expressive subjects favouring STEM subjects that are easier to benchmark and standardise.

• Rhode Island School of Design
• Stem-to-STEAM
• STEM to STEAM Map: A world map of STEAM activity

Launching Autumn 2017

We will launch STEAM CAMP with courses in creative computing, games, coding, robotics, sound and music and 3D and animated digital arts. Then we aim to create workshops exploring biology (see our proposed Craft Mycology series), digital fashion, astronomy and photography.

Also, STEAM CAMPs, COURSES and CLUBs aim to:

• be open and accessible
• support girls and women in technology
• engage the educationally excluded and
• be fun for all!

Ian Grant. May 2017.