Wally’s Water Wisdom - Celebrating National STEAM Day

Hi, friends! Just dropping in because today is an extraordinary day. Did you know that today is National STEM/STEAM Day? This day is important for my friends at IEUA because the agency depends on brilliant staff and their sharp STEAM skills to operate our most precious resource, WATER!

Let’s swim back to the beginning—do you know what STEM and STEAM stand for? I know what may first come to mind – hot STEAM, like what happens when you take a 5-minute shower. While that’s a good guess, the word we are learning today does not only refer to steaming water. STEAM is an acronym that represents Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics. It is important to remember that the ‘A’ for Arts was later added to the first term, STEM.

Speedy History Lesson: The STEM term was created in the early 2000s by Dr. Judith Ramaley during her time at the National Science Foundation (NSF). The term took an exciting wave to arrive where it is now: STEM was initially referred to as SMET. According to Britannica, it has been reported that the NSF would use the term SMET when referring to the cool jobs and learning objectives of what we now know as Science, Math, Engineering, and Technology. Now, you’ll hear teachers, parents, and friends use the term STEM and STEAM instead of SMET.

STEAM Careers: According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for employees skilled in STEAM fields is continuously growing. There are multiple pathways into the STEAM workforce nowadays. IEUA staff use one, two, or all STEAM skills in their day-to-day roles. Their skills are so important because if you look at what they are doing – each one of them plays a part in ensuring their service area (that’s what they call the friends they supply water to) gets a reliable, high-quality water supply. All of my friend’s roles at IEUA are like fun puzzle pieces, and we need them to complete the picture.

You may be asking yourself: What type of careers can you obtain in the field of STEAM? Stay tuned as we explore later real-life experiences and STEAM career examples by talking one-on-one with our friends at IEUA in another blog post.

Water Discovery Field Trip: STEAM isn’t just for the staff at a water agency like IEUA; all ages can explore STEAM, and I encourage you to celebrate STEAM beyond today. If you’re reading this blog, you’re already ahead of the game. I enjoy sharing with you new and exciting water-wise tips, but there’s always more to explore. Don’t know where to start? My friends at IEUA invite you to visit the neighboring Chino Creek Wetlands and Educational Park for a Water Discovery Field Trip. Activities will teach students about many water resources, water use efficiency methods, the environment, and more. These water-wise activities align with California State Curriculum Standards; Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM); and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). For more information, visit my c(HOO)ool friend, Owlie, and learn more about the Chino Creek Wetlands and Education Park at www.ieua.org/chino-creek-wetlands-educational-park/.

As always, I hope you are doing your part to be water-wise. Remember, by simply picking up after your pets, not overwatering your plants, or turning off the faucet when brushing your teeth, you are making a difference. I will see you all soon with the next drop of water wisdom!

Your friend,

Wally