This externship experience has been a whirlwind of opportunities, engagement, learning, and making connections. I have been a middle school art teacher for the lasty 25 years. I always encourage my students to look at STEM as STEAM. Art is an integral part of the design thinking, creative thinking, problem solving, persistence, and ingenuity aspects of science, technology, math, and engineering.

My wonderful experience was with the Micron Foundation working on a variety of projects. I assisted with Micron’s Chip Camps at Boise State University and College of Western Idaho, helping with everything from student interactions and guidance to set up, but my main assignment was to document the camps as their photographer. I was so excited to get to use one of my personal skill sets and photography background to contribute, and the images are being used in Micron communications and media promotion.

I was given the opportunity to learn about Micron Foundation’s philanthropic work and support it by learning new technology and design platforms to help design informational articles for Micron’s team members. I was able to observe a portion of their STEM programs for teachers as well as their broader communications for Micron. I learned about the sciences and practices behind communication and the technology used to inform stakeholders and the community of important Micron events.

I plan to bring all I have learned back to my students so they can understand the various ways the skills they learn in art can benefit them beyond becoming practicing fine artists. Photography, graphic design, and web page development are important STEM adjacent careers that offer them a wide variety of opportunities in a multitude of fields. I will share my experiences to enhance student understanding of workplace expectations and the soft skills they develop daily in art class that will help them succeed, such as time management, persistence in learning and developing new skills, collaboration, and creative problem solving. I leave this experience excited to share my gained knowledge and experience, with a reinforced belief that STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math are pillars of learning that will lead students to great success.