Questions to Ask

A common experience shared by problem solvers across the world is the moment when our imaginations reach the barrier of our skills. Maybe we have an incredible idea but don’t quite know how to accomplish it. All of a sudden, the reality of the incredible inventors we read about or learned about in school comes crashing down on us. We must not be geniuses – and all inventors are geniuses. Right?

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) courses too often emphasize challenging equations, and they often underplay key factors such as teamwork and managing failure – essential elements of any great discovery and invention. A "spark" of inspiration and desire for knowledge may often be extinguished by a mindset of excessive reverence for those who have come before. And many times, young people won’t learn about scientists who look like them, especially if they are Black, Indigenous, and/or women. These conditions make kids believe that STEM is an exclusive, difficult, lonely pursuit that only geniuses can do – and that’s just not true! Any and all skills practiced in a STEM course are transferrable across all professional disciplines, and being present as a maker instead of consumer can help us to shape new futures.

Keep your mind open and embrace curiosity. Regularly asking the following questions of yourself and others encourages success and helps broaden our collective body of knowledge and perspective.