In 2015, I was invited to the 10th Anniversary Celebration Reception of the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (CSTEM) at Eastern Washington University (EWU) in Cheney, Washington. This event hosted several amazing speakers from local companies and former alumni. It also showcased several of the robotic engineering and animation labs, where a variety of student projects were on display.

The term STEM has grown in prominence in the news and in articles across the United States, but not everyone knows what STEM is, what the acronym stands for, or what its purpose is. As a teacher, I have tried to follow the development and implementation of STEM topics within the classroom. In this article, we will look at what STEM is and why it is important.