On Thursday, June 26, the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) led a Congressional briefing titled Music Education Powers STEAM: The Broader Minded Role of Music in Preparing a 21st-Century Workforce in the Cannon House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.
Supported by Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR) and Congressman Aaron Schock (IL), since its creation in 2013, the bipartisan Congressional STEAM Caucus has grown to include 63 members of Congress. The STEAM movement focuses on the inclusion of the arts in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) curricula, as the arts play a unique and critical role in helping students develop the kind of innovative and creative skills that they will need to succeed in the 21st-century workforce.
Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici gave opening remarks that further emphasized her commitment to STEAM and acknowledged the great work of Young Audiences in Beaverton, Oregon. Young Audiences Arts for Learning's Executive Director, David A. Dik was a guest panelist along with Glenn E. Nierman, President, NAfME and Dru Davison, Chair of Arts Education, Memphis City Schools. The panel discussion, attended by many congressional representatives and staff members, highlighted the need to integrate music as a core element of STEM and the application of music and the arts to college and career readiness.
Here is the video recording of the briefing:
