Purpose of T-STEM
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has developed the STEM Education Toolkit to support districts in developing a local STEM program that is aligned to the high-quality indicators identified by the state. The STEM tools are designed to support a district in planning and implementing a PK-12 STEM program aligned to the Texas STEM Framework.
TEA’s Texas Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (T-STEM) initiative is an open-enrollment program that engages students in a rigorous STEM curriculum, preparing them for the global marketplace. STEM occupations are currently growing at a much higher rate than other occupations in the United States and worldwide. Addressing this rising demand, the T-STEM initiative seeks to increase the number of Texas students who study and enter STEM fields.
Students apply what they learn in real-world contexts with campus leaders leveraging business partnerships and STEM enrichment activities, such as clubs and competitions, to promote problem-based thinking. Venturing past the walls of the classroom creates an immersive, memorable learning experience designed to motivate and equip these future innovators for success in their chosen fields.
Students who graduate from the T-STEM program enter the workforce with proven, in-demand skillsets, making them top candidates in their chosen industry. High-growth STEM career fields and industries in Texas include:
- Cybersecurity
- Programming and Software Development
- Engineering
- Renewable Energy
- Petroleum Refining and Chemical Products
- Health Care, Biotechnology, and Life Sciences
- Advanced Technologies and Manufacturing
- Aerospace, Aviation, and Defense