Dear Molly,
I’m interested in advancing my education so that one day I might invent the next major technological breakthrough. How is CIA helping students prepare for the future of innovation?
~ Tech Whiz
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Dear Tech Whiz,
Technology is like an ocean. It is vast with awesome depths, constantly moving. It inspires the imagination, just waiting to be explored. And, if we don’t stay on top of it, we’ll sink (so to speak).
Innovation is a critical element of the Agency’s mission – always has been, always will. You may have heard of CIA’s deep-sea Project AZORIAN mission or space reconnaissance CORONA Program. But, have you heard that CIA has a Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) Program? It’s relatively new, so I reached out to my “STEAM team” colleagues to learn more about it.
In 2021, Congress gave CIA the authority to support STEAM education in the United States and speed up the future of innovation to help America stay ahead of our adversaries. The STEAM Program works on behalf of the Director of the CIA to advance STEAM-related education for students across the country in kindergarten through graduate school, including students from diverse communities. It accomplishes its mission through partnerships with students, educators, and communities.
CIA’s STEAM Program is dedicated to promoting, encouraging, and empowering students in these fields by providing resources and learning opportunities. To put it another way, in the vast expanse of technology and discovery, CIA is looking to make sure more and more students are equipped to dive right in!
For instance, the program develops Makerspace labs at schools that enhance technological creativity and are accessible for students with disabilities. The STEAM program also collaborates with non-profit organizations to support competitions and technology camps that provide an exciting forum for the next generation of innovation leaders to test their robotics skills. CIA STEAM officers, recognizing their own unique perspective and skillsets, even volunteer to serve as mentors and science fair judges.
Students at a technology competition interact with robots.
By championing STEAM, CIA helps prepare young people to solve tomorrow’s toughest challenges. Whether it is encouraging students to solve engineering challenges in a creative way, inspiring the next generation of scientists and designers, or empowering tech savvy young leaders, the STEAM team is going “full steam ahead!” (as they like to say).
If you’re interested in learning more, visit the CIA Labs page on CIA.gov. CIA Labs co-sponsors multiple initiatives in partnership with CIA STEAM and similarly works to strengthen national security by developing external partnerships with industry and academia.
I’m guessing some of you out there are STEAM professionals or aspiring to be one. While CIA’s STEAM Program does not focus on recruitment, the Agency may have some STEAM-related opportunities or positions of interest:
~ Molly