We’ve all heard the adage “do what you love and the money will follow.” But what about students who only seem to love video games?
Most educators don’t need to be told that video games are popular with students – that would be a classic example of stating the obvious. But the world of video games has expanded beyond what the stereotypes suggest. Did you know that video games are actually helping medical scientists?
The problem: Millennials (young adults between 18 and 34) face an unemployment rate 40 percent higher than the national average. And many of those with jobs are underemployed and not fully using their education. Did you just cringe a bit for your students when you read that? Keep reading for the good news.
Would you go to the ends of the earth for a rewarding career? If so, you might find some cool opportunities in polar science.
What exactly is polar science? Earl Blacklock is the communications advisor for an environmental organization. He says that polar science refers to physical and social science conducted in the Arctic and Antarctica.
Polar scientists study many different things. One of the big areas is environmental science. Environmental scientists might research topics such as the effect of climate changes on permafrost. Others might study the effects of mining on caribou populations.
If you haven’t heard much about STEM careers, that will soon change. There’s a major push under way to raise awareness about these hot careers.
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. There’s a huge, growing demand for workers in these fields.
There are many hundreds of careers that fall under the umbrella of STEM. They range from geneticists to mechanical engineers to water resource specialists. What they all have in common is that they apply scientific skills to real-world problems.
Creating computer games for a living is the dream of many young people. Fortunately, there are more opportunities than ever to break into the field.
Austin Fitzpatrick focuses on developing games that are played online. He’s a game developer for NASA. He creates games for three online sites: The Space Place, Climate Kids and SciJinks.
