Bring In The Art and Creativity:

Combining art and STEM to benefit Valley Academy

How would the implementation of art, such as music and painting, impact the leadership skills
and academic performance of students who attend STEM/STEAM schools in the United States?

By: Andrew Widener

English IV
Courtney Harrell
November / December 2015

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Andrew Widener
Courtney Harrell
English IV
16 November 2015
Bring In The Art and Creativity
Science and art drive the innovations and technological advancements for all humans.
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) is an educational method used to promote
prospective workplace skills. Innovation and art go hand in hand; just take a look at a modern
innovator, such as Steve Jobs. Art allows students, and even business employees, to tap into their
instinctive innovative abilities. The implementation of art, such as music and painting, has been
shown to have a positive impact on the future leadership skills and future academic performance
of students in STEM schools. Changes in the way we approach education are necessary. This
paper will highlight some of the issues trying to be eliminated, such as disengaged students,
along with showing how solving these problems result in better performance in school and the
workplace.
To begin, we need to identify some of the issues trying to be addressed. For one, placing
too much focus on test scores while limiting educational focus to only reading, math, and science
can result in disengaged and lower performing students - especially in high school settings. As
such, its been noted that removing the arts from schools yield some negative results. For
example, The Perseus Charter School of Excellence in Pennsylvania reported that students who
had no artistic outlet experienced feelings of Reduced Personal Accomplishment. Once CSE
implemented art into the curriculum, students were seen to be more engaged and willing to learn
(Amendola, Oliver, and Vigilone 36). What exactly does this mean? It means that work needs to

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balanced with relaxation. Just as muscles can fatigue after prolonged use, the brain can as well.
Too much high-velocity learning, often involving memorization and critical thinking, can leave
students feeling disinterested.
Additionally, we need to consider the effects of art on students that wouldnt otherwise
have it. Such as STEM chemistry major Jaimie Nguyen, who mentions that playing a musical
instrument taught hard work, practice, and dedication. The goal of these methods, as many say,
is not to teach art, but to teach the application of art in real life (Murphy 1). This particular
students case is interesting, since we get to hear the benefits of STEM + art from a student
perspective. It clearly shows that positive results are a valid possibility. Too many times, the
benefits proposed by administration are only theoretical. In this case, the student clearly
developed personal skills. Its rather surprising, therefore, that even non-art students can benefit
from having art in their education.
Many modern businesses have developed methods that promote leadership and general
workplace skills that aid the respective careers. Robert Pater, a successful managing director, has
seen positive results by implementing art into a variety of businesses, including Amtrak, Avon,
Honda, and United Airlines (Pater 4). In Paters case, along with many others, creative leadership
and administration creates the ability to introduce innovation into a company by allowing
outside of the box thinking. This same concept can apply to a school setting, which are often
treated similarly to businesses.
Both schools and businesses frequently share an opinion on at least one matter: The
ability to accept failure, the willingness to think outside of the box, and the ability to collaborate
are all crucial skills. In order to aid in this development, for example, Pater has identified three
important elements to successful coupling of science and art: using analytical/problem solving

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skills, giving workers a sense of self-worth, and the ability to use emotion - which he admits is
the trickiest of the three, since emotion can be dangerous (Pater 2). In order for workers and
students to feel truly motivated, they need to feel like their input and output matters. In the cases
of Paters clients, he showed that combining individual expression with the somewhat strict
conditions of the workplace resulted in increased productivity. What does all of this mean?
Simply focusing on the business and technical side of a company or school can leave staff and
students feeling unimportant and non-essential. A human connection needs to be established with
workers if businesses want them to be devoted to their work. The skills taught through art
(collaboration, problem solving, etc.) help develop the human aspect in the workplace.
There is another side of this matter that needs to be addressed. Art education is important
in developing skills relating to risk-taking and creative problem-solving, especially in the context
of science and engineering. Simply put, we need to cross lines into both science and art in order
to create careers and technology that is relevant to humans in modern day settings. Engineers
focus on how it works, artists focus on the user experience, says Jenni Buckley, an assistant
professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Delaware (Fountain 1). In order for
modern careers to keep up with developing technologies, workers and students will need to
consider both the visual and functional appeal of a created item. Fountains article provides an
example in which students were tasked with creating a device for simulating chest compressions.
The theatre students then helped the engineering students make the device appear more life-like
and realistic (Fountain 1).
Why is this so important? Art and science synergy is practically the only means that will
push society in a forward direction.

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Both [art and science] are dedicated to asking the big questions placed before us: What
is true? Why does it matter? How can we move society forward? says John Maeda, former
president of the Rhode Island School of Design (Fountain 1-2). Finding the meaning in your
work is essential in developing your passion and ability to work creatively. Complete
independence and isolation in the school or workplace is not a viable solution any more. Instead,
we need interdependence and the ability to connect several areas; science and art just being a
couple from the list of many.
Based on this information, I feel that its likely that Valley Academy, which is also a
STEM school, would greatly benefit from implementing the elements of art. Especially since
leadership skills are so crucial in a STEM environment, it seems most sensible that Valley
Academy would take the measures needed to ensure art was represented - especially if it aids
leadership skills. Knowledge and experience are important leadership ingredients, but especially
in uncertain times, it is essential to harness your arts of intuition, experimentation, sensing and
imagination into leading creatively, Robert Pater states (4). Nowadays, businesses, especially in
the realm of advancing technology, need well trained and educated employees who can see

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things from both a functional and aesthetic point of view. On a note of local relevance, Duke
Energy assisted in bringing a bit of art into STEM schools in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school
system of North Carolina. Students and educators agreed on the benefits of combining left and
right brain thinking. (Targeted News Service 1). Duke Energy deemed it worthwhile to assist
these STEM schools by introducing some artistic concepts. Logically, it would seem that
companies (like Duke Energy and others) see a lasting benefit from keeping or adding art into
educational environments. Adapting to modern economics and technology, such as with
companies like Duke Energy, is essential if schools and educators wish to keep up with the real
world. Applying learned concepts is becoming more crucial than the learning itself. Valley
Academy will also need to adapt to changing needs in the workforce. With this being the case,
Valley Academy should create an intertwined art program for students interested in that area.
This could involve converting a section of the school into an art area, or even having a class
teaching elements of art. If this form of art education was formal, it could even count as highschool credits, which some students would likely prefer.
As education becomes more and more complex, schools are having to approach
education in considerably different ways. Valley Academy is no exception. Even though Valley
Academy has put plenty of focus into science and math, its now time to face the more human
side of the equation: art. Valley Academy has placed emphasis on job internships, job shadowing,
and the procurement of good careers in the local workforce. If employers see a benefit to having
art mixed in with elements of leadership (such as described by Robert Pater) then it clearly seems
best to adapt education accordingly. Graduates of Valley Academy will need to have well
developed problem solving and critical thinking skills. Science depends heavily on creativity.
Students and prospective employees need to be able to think outside of box and permit

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innovation in their studies and work. In my own case, playing an instrument gives me a chance
to do whatever I wish, in a creative sense. Ive been able to musically venture into areas I
wouldnt otherwise recognize via these outside the box methods. Its safe to say that Ive
become more willing to experiment because of my actions in music. This willingness has
allowed me to explore new options and methods in my studies, along with developing the way I
approach academic situations. If Valley Academy was to benefit by using this logic to further the
possible interests and abilities of students, it would appear to be a clear cut decision: lets
implement art into this STEM school.

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Works Cited
Fountain, Henry. "Putting Art in STEM." New York Times, Late Edition (East Coast) ed.Nov 02
2014. ProQuest. Web. 21 Oct. 2015
Murphy, Elizabeth. "Incorporate Art in STEM Fields to Encourage Creative Thinking."
University Wire May 012015. ProQuest. Web. 21 Oct. 2015
Nick M. Viglione, Mark Amendola, and Robert Oliver. "Applying ART in Action." Reclaiming
Children and Youth 24.2 (2015): 36-40. ProQuest. Web. 21 Oct. 2015.
Pater, Robert. "The Art of Creative, High-Performance Leadership." Professional Safety 58.9
(2013): 3. ProQuest. Web. 21 Oct. 2015.
"STEM Translates into School Art." Targeted News Service Sep 09 2015. ProQuest. Web. 21
Oct. 2015