According the U.S Bearau of Labor statistics, in 2019 STEM Jobs had an average medium income of $90,000 as compared to non-STEM jobs at just below $40,000. STEM fields not only hold larger incomes, but also have higher employment rates, hold higher status in the U.S economy and education, and are the first to be funded by the federal and state government (Bartan & Tan, 2018).

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However, these same STEM  fields are predominantly filled with white, middle-class male workers (Bartan & Tan, 2018). 

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To add to this, despite the fact the American population is 13.4% African American, and 18.5% Hispanic, people of color are underrepresented in STEM fields (U.S Census, 2019). African Americans only make up 9% of STEM workers, while Hispanics make a low 6% of the STEM workforce (Funk & Parker, 2018).  As a teacher who currently teaches at a school were the population is 75% hispanic, this is extremely concerning to me. 

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Such underrepresentation is problematic for many reasons. First, unethical environmental hazards usually occur in low-income areas, which involve mostly people of color. In order to debate and combat such issues, adults and children within the community need to some knowledge or background in STEM education (Bartan & Tan, 2018). 

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Second, underrepresentation in these fields contribute to the wage gap. As mentioned earlier, STEM jobs are the highest paying jobs in America. This is not to say every person of color should become a scientist or engineer, however, from the statistics shown earlier, it is clear there is a lack of representation in STEM fields (Funk & Parker, 2018). 

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Third, because STEM is mostly dominated by white, middle-class males, the culture of STEM is primarily centered around white culture. This means people of color have to assimilate to join such fields. To the youth, a person of color can feel like an outsider due to the lack of seeing people like themselves (Bartan & Tan, 2018). 

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There are a number of factors that contribute to the  underrepresentation of minorities in STEM. Stereotype threat, for example, is when stereotypes inhibit a person to perform well academically due to societal pressures (Aronson, Fried, & Good, 2001). From the moment students enter their school doors, these stereotypes no only cause students of color to underperform, they also enforce the notion that STEM education is not for them . 

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Another important aspect is access to STEM equipment. In order to keep up with the constantly changing technological advances, funding such as new computers, new software, and coding gadgets are needed. In order to partake in next level science, proper and effective science equipment has to be purchased as well, ranging from glassware, electronic devices, and other gadgets. Access to unique engineering tools also costs money, money in which communities of color struggle to gain access to. These items that may be common place in many urban and sub-urban schools are seen as luxury in low-income and Title 1 schools. 

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The truth of the matter is, students of color start of at a disadvantage before even stepping into the classroom. 

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Factor in socio-economic disparities in minority communities from a long history of racial-injustice in America and it's not to difficult to see why STEM fields severely lack in diversity. Although great strides have been made over the past decade with an increase in women and minorities in STEM (Funk & Parker 2018), more need to be done to ensure our future generation has a fighting chance. 

 

So where does maker have to do with any of this? 

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The maker movement, as well as maker education, aims to make medium such as coding, electronics, and engineering more accessible to all students. Instead of making computers just another medium for the same direct teaching, the goal is for students to utilize these tools to make an artifact meaningful to them, allowing children to express themselves, which is severely lacking in STEM education.

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To look at it in a different way, the students knowledge serves as a bridge to creating a final product which represents their own cultural background. This form of teaching pushes students culture and personalities to the forefront, therefore preventing alienation in STEM fields. 

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As a current maker and chemistry teacher, my philosophy is provide my students the tools to become makers. This means by first starting off with maker workshops, accessible tools, and accessible mediums students can use to craft their own personal artifacts through proper facilitation. 

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Then by introducing content, I can have students create and correlate their making to chemistry and biology. Although the process is a tedious one, and time consuming, this creates an equitable environment which every student feels welcomed. 

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