NOAA AND STEAM THE STREETS BRIDGE GAP BETWEEN UNDERREPRESENTED STUDENTS AND MARINE SCIENCE CAREERS

Steam the Streets’ App expands with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s support to increase diversity and equity in STEAM careers. 

Media Contact: 
Ben Gilbarg
Steamthestreets@gmail.com 

December 5, 2022 – In the United States alone, an estimated four million STEM and Arts (STEAM) jobs will go unfilled in 2023. Many students and educators are unaware of these high demand and well paid career options. This is particularly true for underserved BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) students, and increasing the diversity in marine science fields is a top priority for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and its Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, according to recently released strategic plans.

STEAM the Streets, a nonprofit organization that has been translating opportunities to underrepresented youth through programs and culturally relevant media since 2016, has launched an App that utilizes storytelling to demystify STEAM career paths and inspire a new and diverse workforce. With technical assistance from staff at NOAA’s Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary and funding from the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, the App will expand to include a Marine Careers module.

The app takes students on a self-guided journey to learn about in-demand STEAM careers. Each module reverse engineers career discovery and humanizes career fields; spotlighting diverse, relatable stories featuring a BIPOC professional, and then shows students a road map with action steps to reach success in those fields. The Marine Science module will feature Dr. Tammy Silva, Research Marine Ecologist at Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary.

“I want kids from my hometown [Fall River, MA] to know you can do something you love and get paid for it,” says Dr. Silva, “I can’t wait to introduce students to Marine Science, sanctuaries, and NOAA through the App and I’m so excited to be working with STEAM the Streets to inspire a new, diverse generation of scientists.”

“I was never exposed to this information as a teenager, and ended up dropping out of high school. That meant it took me longer to find my passion and feel settled in a career,” says Angel Diaz, STEAM the Streets Co-Founder, “Now I’m a STEAM teacher, a performer and a youth motivator. Now I’m trying to inspire youth about exciting career possibilities and share the options I wish I had heard about as a teenager.”

The STEAM the Streets App is free and designed for students ages 13 and up. Formal or informal educators and parents can start youth on their journey with a thirty-minute guided 

lesson. From there, the students can use the app as a learning tool for career exploration on their own, or be guided with regular classroom check-ins.

In addition to the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, the STEAM the Streets App is funded by BayCoast Bank, Carney Family Foundation, and McMillan-Stewart Foundation.

Visit the STEAM the Streets’ App page to learn more. 

ABOUT STEAM THE STREETS 

STEAM the Streets is an organization with a mission to inspire and activate underrepresented youth to pursue in-demand careers in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math).

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