Enews: Fostering innovation

'We must put art and design at the center of how we think about innovation.' - John Maeda, president, Rhode Island School of Design

RISD President John Maeda looks on as Congressman Jim Langevin talks about art and design as critical components of innovation.

It was standing room only at the Foundation yesterday afternoon for STEM to STEAM, a briefing to mark Rhode Island's commitment to fostering innovation through the addition of art and design to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education and research.

In opening remarks, Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI), who has made workforce development a top priority of his administration, said, "Art and design are critical components of innovating products that are both effective and appealing to consumers. RISD's work under President Maeda's leadership has shown the benefits of this integrated approach. We must bring it to other educational and training programs if we are to succeed in closing the gap between the skills our students are taught and the abilities that employers need."

Foundation President & CEO Neil D. Steinberg told the audience, "The Foundation is committed to working with other community leaders to support professional development for educators and improve student achievement. We invest in innovative proposals with these goals in mind, and STEM to STEAM initiatives that add art and design methods to science and math classrooms have shown positive results."

Panelists included John Maeda, RISD; Saul Kaplan, Business Innovation Factory; Andrea Castaneda, Rhode Island Department of Education; Charlie Cannon, Rhode Island NSF EPSCoR at RISD; and Stephen Lane, Ximedica.

The briefing was presented by Congressman Jim Langevin (RI-D), Rhode Island School of Design, the Rhode Island Science and Technology Advisory Council, The Rhode Island Foundation, Rhode Island College, and the Rhode Island Department of Education.

To learn more about STEM to STEAM, read: