STEAM Approach

STEAM Approach

It all started with the term STEM, which originated in the USA and stands for:

- Science
- Technology
- Engineering
- Mathematics

The only difference between STEAM and STEM is the addition of an "A" for Art, but the difference in approach is significant! Recently, the STEAM approach has become a real trend in the USA and Europe, with many experts considering it the approach of the future.

Scientific and Technical Orientation (STEM)

The rapid development of technology leads to professions related to high technology being the most demanded in the future: IT specialists, big data engineers, programmers. As a result of this social demand, there is a large number of robotics, programming, and modeling clubs (STEM). However, there is an increasing realization that scientific and technical knowledge alone is not enough. In the future, skills of the 21st century, often referred to as the 4Cs, will be in demand.

Skills of the Future (4Cs)

Skills of the 21st century are a concept actively discussed at various levels. The essence of the concept is that the key skills defining literacy in the industrial era were reading, writing, and arithmetic. In the 21st century, the focus shifts towards critical thinking, collaboration, communication skills, and a creative approach to problem-solving. Thus, the main skills of the future, known as the 4Cs, have emerged:

- Communication
- Collaboration
- Critical Thinking
- Creativity

These skills cannot be acquired solely in laboratories or through knowledge of specific mathematical algorithms. This is why professionals increasingly have to apply the STEAM approach.

Integration of Art

The need for combining science and art was written about by thinkers such as Chinese mathematicians-philosophers of the 11th century, as well as Leonardo da Vinci. Later, many European philosophers and psychoanalysts, including C. Jung, held this view.

There is a physiological explanation for the unity of scientific-technical and arts-oriented development. The so-called "left" side of the brain is responsible for logic. It helps memorize facts and draw logical conclusions. The "right" side of the brain is responsible for thinking through direct perception and provides creative, instinctive-intuitive thinking.

The STEAM approach engages both hemispheres of the child's brain. In the early 1990s, biochemist R. Rubinstein studied 150 biographies of the most famous scientists from Pasteur to Einstein. He investigated the use of the left and right hemispheres of the brain. It turned out that almost all inventors and scientists were also musicians, artists, writers, or poets: Galileo was a poet and literary critic, Einstein played the violin, Morse was a portrait painter, and others. Thus, creativity was stimulated and strengthened through the practice of disciplines associated with the right hemisphere of the brain.

A neurological study conducted in 2009 by Johns Hopkins University showed that art improves students' cognitive skills, develops memory and attention skills during classes, and also expands the range of academic and life skills.

Our Academy focuses on early career guidance for children in the field of information technology through creativity and creative thinking, creating their own gaming worlds, presentations, creating their own codes, all in conjunction with a friendly atmosphere among like-minded people. Our  "Junior Computer Academy" and "First Step" programs provide comprehensive training for children in the field of information technology, which not only gives them skills but also provides creative realization and socialization through the development of teamwork skills.