“Preschool through 5th grade is a unique and critical window for kids to engage with science and engineering, and it’s clear we need policies that can give all students access to this opportunity. To make sure every student in the U.S. receives their best shot at excelling in these areas and experiences the joy and wonder of science and engineering, we need to improve curriculum materials, design effective learning environments, and support our educators with resources and meaningful learning opportunities.”

"During the next decade, overall U.S. demand for scientists and engineers is expected to increase at four times the rate of all other occupations."

"Beginning STEM at such an early stage is crucial because it gives the older grades a building block. Where previous generations would “start” basically where these students are starting now, their foundation is going to be so much broader and greater that there is no limit to what these kids are going to be able to accomplish."

"They let us do stuff on our own. They let us do tests. And they don’t care if we mess up. That’s one of the great things about STEM!"

"It is extremely important for us to start STEM education early, especially in the United States. It’s not reserved just for college level students, it needs to continue to move further and further down in the education chain so that by the time students are old enough to be able to decide what they want to do, that they choose that career in engineering or science."

"You can’t start young enough. A lot of the studies show that by the time students get to high school, it is too late. If they don’t already have a STEM interest, they’re not going to."

"Solving our nation’s STEM crisis can’t be done in a single school year or by a single entity. It will take a long-term commitment on behalf of educators, volunteers, employers and more. But as we work together to improve STEM education, the possibilities for our country’s students – and our future – look brighter than ever."

"To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a new angle, requires creative imagination and marks real advance in science."

Between 2014 and 2024, the number of STEM jobs will grow 17 percent, as compared to 12 percent for non-STEM jobs.

In Louisiana, between 2014 and 2024, STEM jobs will grow 18 percent, as compared to 13 percent for non-STEM jobs.