How to inspire future generations of innovators
Recently, Texas A&M University sponsored a panel entitled 'A Force for Good: Visionaries Redefining the Future' at the Fast Company Grill during SXSW in which industry leaders discussed ways to drive interest in STEM fields and create a fertile environment for problem-solving and innovation. Here are three takeaways from their conversation. (Scroll to the bottom to watch the entire panel discussion.)
1. Innovation begins with aspiration.
One of the major impediments to technological innovation is that many who might excel in science and engineering never seriously consider capitalizing on those skills. This challenge is particularly acute among girls and young people whose parents struggle financially. 'The problem is that we have kids, particularly girls, that don't believe science, technology, engineering, mathematics is fun, accessible, rewarding,' said Dean Kamen, an entrepreneur and inventor known for creating the Segway. 'They need to start seeing the world of science and technology as part of their future.'
Texas A&M University, the nation's largest land grant university, is helping to bridge that gap, which means working with kids early in their educational journey. 'We used to target high schoolers,' said Dr. Amy Waer, dean of the Texas A&M University College of Medicine. 'But data shows that for young girls and young boys to feel empowered to go into STEM fields, you've got to [target the] third grade.' This introduction to STEM can be simple. Texas A&M has a program that asks third graders to teach kindergarteners how to use a stethoscope. Providing young children with this basic medical tool—and asking them to teach younger kids about it—can be the spark that puts math and science on a child's radar and eventually leads them to pursuing an education or career in those fields.
2. Strong values are critical.
Encouraging an interest in science may be the first step in creating the next generation of innovators, but instilling strong core values is equally important. 'Part of our students' education takes place in the classroom with world-class faculty and staff, but another part of it is learned in student organizations and student leadership,' said Col. Michael E. Fossum, chief operating officer of Texas A&M University at Galveston and a former astronaut. He added that students must be exposed to experiences that further develop Texas A&M's Core Values: excellence, integrity, leadership, loyalty, respect, and selfless service.
Those skills are crucial for visionaries and creators in the real world. Kamen, for instance, sponsors a youth robotics competition involving 82,000 teams through his nonprofit organization FIRST. Each team is given a specific kit of parts and a set amount of time in which to build a robot. Organizers are careful to stress that winning the competition is not the same thing as succeeding, he said. Rather, participants succeed by learning together and collaborating. 'Almost every robot will lose, but all the kids will win if they learn how to share, cooperate, and teach each other,' Kamen said. During the competition, individuals regularly help competitors repair broken axles or make design changes that improve each other's robots for the next round. 'Destroying your competition is not a way to improve the human condition,' he continued. 'In the real world, the public benefits when we get to see all the different good ideas that people have.'
3. Innovators can be a force for good.
Educators have a responsibility to ensure that young people think about how their decisions, actions, and work can benefit communities and the world at large. Texas A&M encourages this type of introspection, for example, by requiring all new medical students to participate in a rural-medicine elective. This class gives students firsthand experience in resource-strapped communities that may not have good access to medical care.
'Not everyone's going to practice in rural Texas,' Waer said. '[But] whether they're going to be practicing as a cardiothoracic surgeon in Dallas or elsewhere, they need to know what may not be there in terms of medical care.'
Understanding this need can have a big impact on students' decisions when they graduate. In fact, the first three students who participated in the program—all from major cities—decided to concentrate on primary care in rural communities. 'Service is important,' Kamen said. 'We need to inspire students. We need help them understand the value of serving your country, serving your community, serving your state in some way—the value of giving back.'
Watch the full panel:
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