Hated Math in School? Problem Solved.

We’ve all heard it: kids don’t like math or science. I bet many of you felt the same when you were in school. And, despite the fact that today’s kids are so tech savvy, they often share our aversion to algebra or biology.

I experienced this recently with a 15-year old boy at the East LA Boys & Girls Club. We were hosting a workshop on how to apply math and science for critical thinking, and he just wasn’t interested. One of the guest speakers, a cellist from the Los Angeles Philharmonic, addressed the importance of math in understanding music. As the cellist packed up her instrument at the end of the workshop, this gawky teenager shyly approached and asked if he could hold the cello. She put the bow in his hand and showed him how to move it across the strings. He made a sound, and much was obvious: one, he’d never held an instrument before, and two, he wanted to hold one from this moment onward. He asked the professional how he could become a cellist and she gave the most perfect answer ever, “Stay in school and study math.” He listened.

Our nation has a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) crisis on its hands. You don’t have to look far to find research that shows that other nations are ahead of the U.S. when it comes to STEM education. Countries like Singapore, Finland and South Korea invest far more in STEM through schools and after-school programs than we do. Is it any surprise, then, that Silicon Valley firms lobby for more skilled worker entry visas so they can recruit trained programmers from all over the world, rather than hiring home grown talent?

Here on LinkedIn, as skilled employees, we use STEM skills every day, even if we did dislike the subjects in school. From running a financial report and negotiating contracts to quantifying a proposal for a new project or pay raise, math, science, technology, reasoning, and logic are vital to our jobs. Even if we had painful experiences in high school, congratulations, STEM is part of our jobs now. Celebrate and pass it on.

Supporting STEM education for young people is easy - look no further than after-school programs. There are thousands of programs that provide youth with hands-on STEM experiences, and they make it fun. Programs like @GirlScouts, @BGCA_Clubs and even small community programs like @DIYGirls here in Los Angeles teach coding, engineering, and practical applications for STEM that help youth realize why their math and science classes matter - and that these subjects lead to careers in the things they love: video games, fashion design, sports and, yes, music.

Let’s face it, a STEM job breaks the cycle of poverty for a family. That’s the potential I saw in that young man in East LA. More kids with STEM jobs create stronger communities and foster technology and inventions that make our world better. More kids with STEM jobs can lead to solutions to our greatest global challenges. I hope you will take a moment to investigate the nonprofit organizations that are teaching STEM in your community, and perhaps donate your time or dollars. You may even learn to like math again.

I welcome your thoughts. If this sentiment appeals to you, I invite you to follow me on Twitter @MilindaMartin.