WASHINGTON — A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine offers a road map for increasing access to science, technology, engineering, and math education opportunities and workforce development for students in rural communities. The report takes stock of existing federal programs and provides recommendations for federal, state, and local action to improve STEM education and workforce development in rural areas.
 
The committee that wrote the report emphasized that rural areas already have many STEM learning opportunities and resources that urban areas may lack, such as access to natural spaces. STEM learning experiences that connect to and leverage students’ local rural knowledge and experiences are important components of effective K-12 STEM education in rural settings. Place-based learning experiences, often through local partnerships and the adaptation of instructional materials for local relevance, can be especially productive for building rural students’ interest in STEM.
 
The report notes, however, that inequitable access to broadband in rural communities creates challenges for digital literacy in preparation for work and life, and improvement in rural STEM education and workforce development requires reliable access to broadband. Recent legislation has led to large investments in broadband connectivity across the U.S., and many federal and state agencies are working to improve access and adoption. It is difficult to determine the extent to which connectivity and access efforts will address broadband-related challenges for rural K-12 STEM education because the efforts are not well coordinated, some do not focus on affordability, and broadband access alone cannot improve programs with outdated or insufficient computers, routers, and other hardware.