STEM Day at The Florida Capitol, Advocates for a Future of Innovation and Prosperity

TALLAHASSEE – The Cade Museum for Creativity and Invention and leaders from science centers and museums from around the state assembled during STEM Day at the Florida Capitol on January 25, 2022. The goal was to engage legislators about the critical role that Science Centers and museums play with inspiring and creating the STEM workforce of tomorrow while also advocating for increased funding to support these efforts. 

Participants were stationed inside and outside the Capitol building with experiments, displays, robots and more! Throughout the day, state legislators took part in hands-on activities while learning how STEM education helps grow Florida’s technological workforce.  Science museums act as a hub for STEM learning and can easily facilitate opportunities between industry, education and the public. Collaborations between science museums, corporations and education are key to developing a comprehensive approach to promote STEM learning from cradle to career.

The challenges of the past 18 months have reminded all of us that science matters now more than ever. Science literacy not only leads to a better understanding of life’s problems, but it promotes the development of skills to help solve them. Through study and experimentation, we acquire knowledge, which leads to understanding, innovation and ultimately prosperity. Our youth can save the world and science can help them do it. 

“We are in the middle of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, seamlessly blending our digital and physical worlds. Technology is evolving so quickly, we don’t know what the future will look like, but we do know how we can prepare for it,” says Stephanie Bailes, CEO & President of the Cade Museum. “We can teach our children to think like inventors, to be creative and problem solve, to work in teams and explore new perspectives, and to learn how to be fueled by failure rather than fear it.” 

During STEM Day at the Capitol, participating partners, including student groups, shared their passion for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with legislators, demonstrating the impact that their efforts can have on economic development across the state.  Displays will reinforce how science museums light the spark of curiosity, promote future careers and build essential 21st century skills while also illustrating how increased funding could expand these efforts. 

 

STEM DAY 2022 PARTICIPANTS:

• Orlando Science Center 
• Motorola Solutions Foundation 
• Museum of Discovery and Science (Ft. Lauderdale) 
• Cox Science Center and Aquarium (West Palm Beach) 
• Tallahassee Museum 
• FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), Northwest Florida  
• River City Science Academy (Jacksonville) 
• STEM SimX 

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