As the staff at NOHS tries to prepare students with the knowledge and skills needed to be successful in an ever-evolving 21st century, there has been a growing emphasis placed on STEAM. The acronym refers to  the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics. NOHS believes STEAM is a critical component of the district vision of a 21st century graduate. As writer Jeevan Vasagar asserts in a Financial Times article, "repetitive tasks are eroded by technology and outsourcing, the ability to solve novel problems has become increasingly vital.”

STEAM inspires NOHS teachers to use project-based learning that combines aspects of each of the five fields in STEAM while developing an inclusive learning environment in which NOHS students are able to collaborate. Teachers use the STEAM framework to bring the subjects together and enable students to use both sides of their brain at the same time. STEAM teaches students critical thinking skills, problem solving skills and employs creativity. This helps prepare students to work in a future career that demands these skills as well as collaboration, communication, patience and perseverance.

Of course, STEAM added the "A" to STEM which has been around for quite a while. Although, STEM is critical, it was missing creativity, innovation, and aesthetic design skills. The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) was one of the early champions of adding the arts to the earlier STEM education framework to create STEAM. This inclusion created a marriage of sorts between the arts and the sciences. According to RISD, ”The goal is to foster the true innovation that comes with combining the mind of a scientist or technologist with that of an artist or designer.” Former RISD President, John Maeda, an early advocate for STEAM, has emphasized the concept that design thinking and creativity are essential ingredients for innovation.

-- taken in part from https://educationaladvancement.org/blog-why-steam-education-is-so-important-today/