The lowdown on STEM: a formula for luring teens toward science and math.(Youth Matters)(science, technology, engineering, and mathematics teaching and learning)

Ed. note: This is the first in a series of guest columns on an aspect of youth services.

Every week I have at least one conversation about how schools and libraries are working to support STEM: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics teaching and learning. I've discovered that some librarians are struggling to figure out what their role should be in the STEM universe. What follows are a few pointers.

In the mid-2000s, STEM gained prominence when Congress made it a focal point of education initiatives that U.S. schools seek to improve science, technology, engineering, and math teaching and learning. In 2011, the America Competes Act was reauthorized and …