What is STEAM?

The importance of STEAM education has been discussed in the current curricula and educational systems. The STEAM is the initials of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics.
In 2013, President Obama delivered a speech on his support for the STEM education as America’s important national strategy, and the STEM became a major topic of conversation. In his speech, the STEM was cited as an important field for scientific and technological development. In recent years, the STEAM education, adding Art to the STEM education, has attracted attention from a perspective that imagination and sensitivity will be crucial for surviving in the AI era.

In the coming society, you are required to play a role an active part as “a side to use,” not “a side to be used” like AI and a robot. The STEAM education is necessary to promote the persons to be “a side to use.” In the manufacturing in AI era, the “Science” to search something produces focal points to solve issues, and a manufacturing method of the “Technology” and the “Mathematics” manufacture the products designed by the “Engineering.” As these fields are organically associated, it is not possible to succeed in the world development race only with each technical knowledge. The persons with general knowledge as a base have been demanded.

Additionally, the fields of STEM only concentrate on creating the “most suitable” and “shortest” roadmap for solving issues. As a result, they have the limit on creating an outstanding idea and an extraordinary jump. To solve the limit, the humanities and aesthetical “Art” factors have been added to promote an unpredictable innovation. The combination of Art with the fundamental questions and the science and mathematics education to use hands is very useful, and these knowledge will be requisite for you to survive in these societies.

Question to junior and senior high school students:
What do you place special emphasis on when you select a course?

Saga University has established “RIKEJO platform in Saga” as a local key university to provide many alternatives for junior and senior high school students in selecting their course. What you want to do comes only out of what you know. Please come to the world slightly away from your school and home to absorb many things so that you can select your course independently.

Purpose of the project

Saga University has promoted junior and senior high school students to have an interest in science and provided the opportunity for considering their carrier as part of connecting a junior and senior high school to a university. Our purpose is to make them aware of going to scientific field and study actively at high school.
We can provide our class in response to the request from schools such as a visiting lecture by a researcher/university student/graduate student of Saga University, and a simulated class at university along with your university visit.

Report

We held “Welcome to the world of SAGA Agriculture Girls!” in the Saga University Center for Education and Research in Agricultural Innovation.

On November 10, 2018, Saturday, we held “Welcome to the world of SAGA Agriculture Girls!” as part of RIKEJO platform in SAGA for the junior and senior high school students (from Saga Prefectural Karatsu Higashi High School and Saga Prefectural Karatsu Minami High School) in Karatsu City, Saga. The project was held together with Karatsu open campus of the Saga University Center for Education and Research in Agricultural Innovation to inform of the attractiveness of science and the Karatsu campus.
The “SAGA Agriculture Girls” was named by our assistant general manager. The agricultural field contains “Food”, “Life”, “Environment”, “Information”, and “Energy.” The name contains enthusiasm for increasing the women who can contribute to agricultural development from Saga, one of the highest food production bases in Japan.

We held a seminar “Let’s look at yourself 10 years later! Future seminar with an introduction to diversity” in the junior high school affiliated to the Saga University, Department of Education.

On December 7, 2018, Thursday, we held “Let’s look at yourself 10 years later! Future seminar with an introduction to diversity” for freshmen at the junior high school affiliated to the Saga University, Department of Education. The seminar was held to make the junior high school students consider their entrance into a university or scientific occupation in their course learning.

Greeting

General manager
Office for Equality, Diversity, and Education at Saga University

Have you ever heard the word “RIKEJO” indicating the women with a scientific background? School teachers of mathematics, science, and home economics, nurses and community health nurses, doctors and dentists you meet at the time of medical examination or when you suffer disease are classified in the scientific occupation. Have you ever seen their active smile at their workplace?
When you are a small child, you might ask your family or teacher “Why?” But now, you have researched the cause and reasons for yourself, and excited to find foregoers’ findings and unexpected test result. Some of you may think that you want to continue researching for your life as a “job for life.” Please treasure your dream, and select your course just the way you are.