Full STEAM Ahead

Dear Friends,

From the industrial revolution to the internet boom, innovation has always driven our country’s economic growth. To rebuild from a devastating recession, create jobs and maintain our global leadership in the 21st century, we will need the same kind of innovative thinking that produced the steam engine and the World Wide Web.

We often hear about advanced education in the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and math) being critical to this effort, but this approach omits a vital component of innovation: art and design.

As Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) President John Maeda notes, “Apple's iPod is technology that basically existed for a long time as an MP3 player, but that nobody ever wanted until design made it something desirable and useful in a way that you could integrate it into your lifestyle.”

At a forum I hosted last week, the head of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce, the presidents of local colleges and other leaders in Rhode Island’s business and education sectors, joined with our arts community to discuss ways to integrate an “A” for arts into our workforce development efforts, turning STEM into STEAM.

Our state has the opportunity to be at the forefront of this important movement nationally, led by RISD, which has already used its resources to work with major corporations on new gadgets and work with scientists on cutting edge research. The sooner we recognize the potential of our extraordinary art and design resources to contribute to innovation, the quicker we can rebuild our economy.

As your representative, I enjoy hearing your thoughts, whether in person or in writing. Please stay in touch via email, Facebook and Twitter to keep the conversation going, and check out my YouTube and Flickr pages.

Sincerely,

Jim Langevin

Cyber Competition

If you know a Rhode Island high school student who excels in computers, there is an exciting opportunity for them to put their skills to the test. I recently launched our state’s second Cyber Foundations Competition, a contest that meausres students’ aptitude in the key skill areas of cybersecurity, while opening their eyes to an exciting and rewarding career path. Businesses and educators are also encouraged to get involved. The registration deadline is October 14. Questions should be directed to Erin Flynn of New England Tech at eflynn@neit.edu.

Sustainable Job Growth

The cyber competition is part of my effort to focus our local economic opportunities on industries with the most potential for job creation. Cybersecurity is seriously lacking in top-level professionals and we should ensure Rhode Island is at the forefront of advances that meet our security needs, while simultaneously growing our economy. Another one of these fields is renewable energy. With our state already establishing leadership in wind power, we can build up an industry that can secure our state’s energy future and provide sustainable job growth. I recently visited Alteris Renewables, the top solar and wind energy installer for homes and businesses in the Northeast region, to discuss steps we can take to better prepare our workforce development to excel in this area.
Read more about my trip to Alteris ››

Save the date

HIGH SCHOOL CYBERSECURITY CONTEST
Testing students’ computer skills
Registration Deadline:
October 14
Competition Dates:
10/21, 11/4, 11/18
More information:
eflynn AT neit DOT edu

Did You Know...?

SERVICE ACADEMY NOMINATIONS
High school seniors looking for a service academy nomination have until October 31 to apply. ››

FAST FACT
A recent survey of 2,000 firms by the McKinsey Global Institute, a research group, found that 40 percent had positions open at least six months because they couldn’t find suitable candidates. ››

In Other News

PUSHING FOR A JOBS BILL
Watch Rep. Langevin speak on the House floor in favor of President Obama’s American Jobs Act following the release of dismal poverty numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau. ››

PROTECTING FOSTER YOUTH
The Child and Family Services Improvement and Innovation Act, which recently passed the House, has language protecting foster children from identity theft that was authored by Rep. Langevin. ››

RECOGNIZING RI SCHOOLS
Rep. Langevin congratulated the teachers, administrators and students at Hope Valley and Park Elementary Schools after both were named Blue Ribbon award winners by the Department of Education. ››

CLOSING THE SKILLS GAP
Rep. Langevin applauded a $3.4 million Department of Labor job training grant for the Community College of Rhode Island, which will use the resources to prepare 600 individuals for jobs in the high-demand fields of healthcare and information technology. ››

REMEMBERING 9/11
Rep. Langevin spoke at a 9/11 remembrance ceremony on the steps of the Rhode Island State House. ››

POWERING EDUCATION
Rep. Langevin commended the Department of Energy for awarding a $150,000 grant to the University of Rhode Island’s Nuclear Science Center. ››

STRENGTHENING OUR CYBERSECURITY
Read Rep. Langevin’s recent op-ed in Information Security Magazine: “National cybersecurity requires improved communication.” ››