Why I'm teaching kids science through the sport of rowing

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

Elizabeth A. Barton, Wayne State University

(THE CONVERSATION) I didn’t know what the world looked like at 5:00 a.m. until my son began rowing for the Detroit Boat Club Crew, the oldest continuous rowing program in North America.

The sight of young rowers slicing through the water in unison in narrow sculling boats, against the backdrop of dawn on the Detroit River, is simply awe-inspiring.

This year, I am working with the Detroit Boat Club Crew, overseen by the nonprofit Friends of Detroit Rowing, to combine the sport of rowing with a new curriculum that teaches middle and high school students science and mathematical concepts.

The innovative approach is tackling two areas of concern for Detroit youths: promoting physically active lifestyles and preparing youth for successful careers in scientific and technological fields.

Knowledge gap

Over the next 10 years, STEM job creation – jobs in science, technology, engineering and mathematics – will outpace non-STEM jobs significantly.

Across the nation, STEM jobs are predicted to grow 17%, as compared to 9.8% for non-STEM positions.

STEM figures largely in occupations with the fastest expected growth in the coming years – such as biomedical engineers, network systems and data communications analysts, medical scientists, computer programmers and app developers.

People in STEM fields can expect to earn 26% more money on average per year and are less likely to experience job loss in Michigan.

Yet, Michigan is failing to produce enough skilled STEM workers to meet the needs of employers now and may fail to meet them in the future. According to the National Commission on Mathematics and Science for the...