Good idea! It would also be a good idea to have more than 1 or 2 elected officials in this country who could understand the disciplines that STEM represents. Unfortunately we have too many people who know absolutely nothing about these areas making laws and allocating funds for science and technology. The current emphasis on STEM programs in schools is a wonderful start. Perhaps as these young people grow up some of them will decide to move into the sphere of politics and bring a scientifically centered intellect into our political discourse.

Minneapolis Public Schools has an afterschool STEM program (little GEMS/little GISE) for Kindergarten through 3rd graders (as well as 4th through 8th grade afterschool STEM programs). These programs help link school learning to a hands on experience after school in science, technology, engineering and math.

This is a great way to appeal to little boys, especially! My 6 year old son, who struggles with autism, can tell you if a dinosaur is a bipedal, carnivorous theropod, etc., etc., but the teachers in his Autism classroom have him matching mother animals with their corresponding babies. He is bored to tears and his behavior suffers for it. We are moving him to a special school for Autistic children just so he can get a better education, besides all of his therapy needs met, which, are sorely lacking at the public level as well.

We've been extremely happy with our daughter's Kindergarten year at Richfield STEM. I don't think we would have remained in the district but for this school. We'd like to see this concept expanded to the middle school and high school as well.

So this is the first time preschoolers have stacked blocks and made towers?

preschool seems too late. can't we get calculus started in the third trimester?