Are you looking for an area of study that will help you land a high paying career right after high school or college? What if that same course of study could also help you in the arts, get you into fashion design, the medical field, or even the cosmetic industry? A background in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) can help you acheive all of these previously mentioned goals. STEM fields and the jobs they produce are growing fast, job growth is about 17% yearly in STEM related fields. By the time current sophomores graduate from high school in 2018, 1 in 20 of all jobs will be in a STEM related field. With a starting salary of over $77,000 a year for biomedical engineers, for example, STEM related jobs are also some of the highest paying.
Not only are high wage careers in STEM in high demand, but simply participating in these courses helps students build critical thinking and problem-solving skills, technical writing ability, and confidence in academic endeavors. As such, students who elect to take STEM courses often also score higher on standardized college entrance exams like the SAT.
The field of STEM has greatly expanded recently and Valparaiso High School is preparing to meet the demands of our students. With growth in course offerings in mathematics, science, and computer science the past few years, VHS is now ready to expand its engineering programming. This initiative has been developed along the way with local and state leaders in industry as well as college and university officials. Furthermore, with the upcoming remodel at VHS, a space dedicated to our newly developed STEM programming will assist students in their learning with the most up to date facilities, machinery, and experiences. With course offerings in biomedical, civil/architectural, and aerospace engineering as well as additional computer and software science courses being added in the near future, students will continue to receive the high-demand training and skill development needed to be successful in their post-secondary pursuits.