On October 4, 1957, history changed with the Soviet Union's successful launch of Sputnik I, the world's first earth orbiting man-made satellite. Americans were alarmed that we had been outpaced technologically and saw the Soviet feat as a threat to our national security and a challenge to our national self image as a global leader. As a response our nation swung into action. Within a year Congress passed the National Defense Education Act and by the time Apollo 11 landed the first humans on the moon in July 1969, American mathematics, science, and technology were the envy of the world.

Now, five decades later, we are again on the verge of falling behind technologically, largely because of a failure to provide world class science and math instruction in our schools. There is a lot of evidence to support this. In a 2006 international assessment our 15 year old students ranked 25^th out of 30 industrialized nations in math and 24^th out of 30 in science.

We are also lagging in the production of bachelor’s degrees. A study by the National Academy of Sciences called ‘Rising Above the Gathering Storm’, revealed that 15 percent of all US undergraduates receive their degrees in natural science or engineering compared with 38 percent in South Korea, 47 percent in France, 50 percent in China, and 67 percent in Singapore.

We live in an increasingly competitive, global economy in which businesses are increasingly reliant on an innovative and highly educated workforce. If we don’t invest in education and especially math and sciences skills at all levels as a major national priority, there will be social and economic consequences.

A recent article by New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman explains how much this ‘education gap’ comparative to other developed countries is costing us.

Citing a study by McKinsey consulting firm, Friedman said if our nation had improved its education between 1983 to match the performance of such nations as Finland and South Korea our economy could have been between $1.3 trillion and $2.3 trillion bigger in 2008.  

This is not new news and there is hope based on multiple initiatives and opportunities for our local business community to get involved.

There is now a historic commitment to increase federal investment in science and innovation including a $5 billion fund to help states strengthen the quality of math and science programs and increase the number of trained math and science teachers. This is good news as data shows we need more and better qualified teachers of math and science. National studies have questioned the quality of teacher training in math and science, especially for elementary school teachers and the proficiency of students entering the teacher-training programs. One report noted the average SAT math score for high school students bound for elementary education programs was 32 points below the average for all college-bound students. 

We are fortunate to have a strong teaching program in Science for K-12 education at our local university. The Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education Program at Western Washington University not only helps prepare our future elementary and secondary science teachers but also participates in research and dissemination of new knowledge in science education and education reform to the university and K-12 communities. 

To overcome the shortage of math and science skills we also need to find ways to attract students to these subjects at an earlier age. Naturally more and better qualified teachers will be an important opportunity in engaging students and reinvigorating these subjects in schools. Equally important is the support and incentives that we can provide students as a community and as a business you can reach out by offering job shadow or internship opportunities to students at our local colleges.

Businesses can also provide targeted scholarships to support students in science and technology subjects.  TAG raises grassroot funds, primarily through our annual Tech Stomp event which will be held on September 22. The net proceeds from the event are awarded recipients pursuing technology or science studies at local institutions including Western Washington University, Bellingham Technical College, Whatcom Community College and Northwest Indian College. So far Tech Stomp scholarships have helped dozens of students pursue education paths to their careers in technology.  Even a small amount makes a big difference. We've heard over and over from past recipients "You wouldn't believe how much this helped me."

We hope that you will join us on September 22 for TAG’s annual Tech Stomp celebration at the Squalicum boathouse in Bellingham. You can find more event details at tagnw.org. We are especially pleased to invite Dr George ‘Pinky’ Nelson our own retired astronaut, Western Washington University educator and tireless promoter of math and science education in schools to provide the event keynote.  In May 2009, Pinky joined legendary pioneers such as Neil Armstrong, John Glenn, Alan Shepard, Jim Lovell and Sally Ride as he was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. Pinky now serves as the Director of the Science, Mathematics and Technology Education (SMATE) Program at Western Washington University.

Marking 40 years since Apollo 11 landed the moon we know that with bold leadership and a coordinated effort we can once again lead the world scientific and technological advances. Our goals for the future, whether it is a manned mission to Mars, securing cyberspace, developing new sources of energy, or finding cures for global epidemics will require a lot of math and science brain power. Finding and educating those brains must be our highest priority.

Anna Ehnmark is Executive Director of TAG, the Technology Alliance Group for Northwest Washington. TAG’s mission is to promote, educate and advocate for technology businesses.

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