Inaugural STEAM Summit unlocks collective power of arts and sciences through interdisciplinary collaboration

• September 19, 2024
• Events, Research

By Georgia Jackson, University Communications and Marketing

A crowd of more than 50 individuals, including educators, United States Department of Defense personnel and representatives from the arts and sciences, gathered at the University of South Florida on Aug. 14 and 15 for the first-ever STEAM Summit. Hosted by the USF Center for Partnerships for Arts Integrated Teaching (PAInT) in collaboration with USF Research and Innovation and the People Task Force of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), the two-day event aimed to break down traditional silos and explore various means of injecting the arts into science classrooms to better prepare students of all ages to solve the dynamic and complex problems of tomorrow.

In her opening remarks, USF Sarasota-Manatee Regional Chancellor Karen Holbrook called the inaugural summit "a catalyst" for developing recommendations on how to foster integration of STEM, arts, and design in education.

"By combining expertise from USF, MIT, JSOC, North Carolina A&T and others from government, academia and industry for this two-day summit, we create a unique opportunity to foster cross-disciplinary collaboration and spark transformative ideas," Holbrook said.

Arts integration is a decades-old, research-based approach to teaching and learning that combines the visual arts, performing arts and literary arts with other academic subjects to enhance learning and deepen students' understanding. Instead of teaching subjects in isolation, arts integration involves leveraging artistic processes and activities as a way for students to explore and understand content in subjects like math, science, history and language arts.

Day One

On the first day of the summit, attendees enjoyed three keynote presentations, a discussion panel, case studies and engaging networking opportunities.

"We must begin to work together across the education continuum and across disciplines to prepare well rounded youth for the unknown world of the future," said Denise Davis-Cotton, director of the Center for PAInT. "I feel energized," she told the room. "I feel your importance."

In her keynote speech, Gueyde St. Jean, a Title I specialist for Pinellas County Schools and trained opera singer, drew connections between vocal performance and science education, including physics, mathematics, biology and astronomy. She also treated the audience to three vocal performances, including the spiritual "Wade in the Water."

Later, Heather O'Leary, an assistant professor in the USF Department of Anthropology, underscored the importance of connection, mutual understanding and collaboration in an engaging presentation that drew on her experience living and working in India and her work with CRESCENDO, an interdisciplinary group of faculty and students who create and disseminate moving music about the environment.

"Our limiting belief is that discovery is uni-directional," O'Leary said. "But discovery is cyclical and collaborative. It must span differences."

In another presentation, Professional artist Dallas Jackson and Associate Director for the Advanced Visualization Center Howard Kaplan teamed up to share how they inject the arts into their classrooms and research.

"If you get your children's children to the point where they can study art and music," Jackson said, paraphrasing a letter founding father John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail in 1780, "We have realized the ideals of this nation."

Day Two

The second day featured keynote addressed by Bill Ferrell, an illustrator, graphic designer and adjunct professor at Ringling College of Art and Design and Madeline Stoddard, an education and community outreach coordinator for the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame; a panel discussion; and a strategy development workshop and strategic action planning session.

In his keynote presentation, Ferrell illustrated the value of using visual design elements, like color, typography and layout, to make complex, scientific information more accessible and engaging. Later, Stoddard illustrated how adopting an innovative mindset can help students overcome challenges and identify opportunities.

Throughout the two-day summit, the group explored how leveraging the analytical rigor of the sciences alongside the creativity and human-centered perspectives of the arts leads to breakthrough solutions in sustainable development, healthcare, education and other emerging technologies, thereby creating a workforce ready to address the complex challenges of the future.

By the time the summit adjourned on Thursday afternoon, the group had developed a strategic action plan for interdisciplinary projects, including regional summer camps and comprehensive arts and design programs that integrate cybersecurity, drones and robotics.

To learn more about the Center for PAInT, visit sarasotamanatee.usf.edu/academics/center-for-paint.