Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA, 11th District) offered remarks at the 2016 K-12 STEM Symposium held March 12 at the Nysmith School in Herndon.
“We lead the world and still do in innovation, but others are catching up,” Connolly said. “We need a million more STEM graduates than were projected to have right now. We need to make sure were making the investments in infrastructure so we remain a competitive county and player in the world marketplace.”
Connolly also referenced the investments countries in Europe and Asia have made in education and how the U.S. cannot lag behind.
“That’s why STEM is so important,” he said. “It has huge payoffs; today’s technology will shape the future.”
The K-12 STEM Symposium is for elementary, middle school and high school students interested in learning more about computer coding, space, 3D printing, drones, healthcare or chemistry through hands-on applications and programs.
The free, all-day event equally engages children, parents and teachers, coupled with corporate, government, academia and non-profit executives alike from the STEM fields. Activities for the day will include hands-on experiments for children, student science fair projects, panel discussions with STEM stakeholders, government and industry exhibitors, and information about government and industry STEM-related high school and college internships. The next K-12 STEM Symposium will be held on March 18, 2017.
