Today’s Gen Z middle and high school students are enthusiastic problem-solvers who share a key trait with social media influencers: their eagerness to turn their passions into ventures. Ann Woo, Head of Corporate Citizenship at Samsung Electronics America, discusses this in her recent opinion piece for Fast Company.
Drawing on her experience leading Solve for Tomorrow, a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education program that encourages innovation and problem-solving among public school students through annual competitions, Ann writes that Gen Z students “are at their core, creators and consumers, skilled in technology and social media, who aspire to be ‘makers’ while also showing a natural empathy for their peers and communities. They view the world as interconnected, beyond the traditional boundaries of subjects—science, history, art, economics—that many teachers and parents expect schools to teach. Additionally, they are more connected with national and global concepts of community than previous generations.”
One result of this is that Gen Z students pose both challenges and opportunities for the STEM education field. This has significant implications for keeping students engaged in STEM and for providing teachers with professional development programs that keep them motivated and excited as active participants in this evolving education model.
Regarding their future employers, Ann stresses the importance for businesses looking to hire this next generation of tech workers to act now. This means investing time and resources to develop strategies and programs that encourage and harness Gen Z’s entrepreneurial spirit.
This is what Samsung has done through Solve for Tomorrow, which, over its 14-year history, has donated more than $24 million in prize packages to competition winners and inspired a new generation of STEM-savvy creators. This year, Solve for Tomorrow raised the bar by introducing a new award—the Rising Entrepreneurship Award—to its list of national honors.
Highlighting three examples of Solve for Tomorrow student projects that have grown into ongoing “social enterprises”—businesses that continue to benefit their local communities long after their schools’ prize-winning moments—Ann offers advice for companies wanting to connect with and support entrepreneurship in STEM programs in local schools:
Start locally: Engage with a nearby school or even a local school district to understand their needs in STEM education and where your particular expertise or product offerings can help.
Focus on helping turn community-focused school projects into ongoing social enterprises: Support programs that can help sustain further STEM activities; consider adding an employee mentorship program to this effort.
Include teachers in your planning: They are the key influencers whose untapped business development skills need to be cultivated.
