STEM vs. STEAM

[wajirock]

An important part of this debate is how we define "Art". In the context of STEAM I personally think that the word "Art" refers to the fine arts, and according to Wikipedia "the fine arts commonly include additional forms [of art], such a film, photography, video production/editing, design, sequential art, conceptual art, and printmaking". Those first three items have been a core part of FIRST for a very long time. Teams have entire sub-teams dedicated to film, photography, and video production. The Chairman's award, the most prestigious award in FIRST, heavily revolves around those three concepts. There are entire competitions within FIRST dedicated to making films and animations. But photography, film, and video development do not fall into the categories of science, technology, engineering, or math. Marketing FIRST solely as a STEM program does not properly include those aspects of FIRST; as more and more teams make the fine arts a more integrated part of their team and culture, and in turn the culture of FIRST, it is important that FIRST accurately markets itself as what it has in store for future innovators.