Dear Friends of the Saint Louis Science Center,

STEAM—science, technology, engineering, the arts and math—is increasingly being recognized as a powerful part of our community’s future through reports like the STL 2030 Jobs Plan, the Missouri Chamber of Commerce’s Technology 2030 Report and St. Louis Community College’s 2020 State of the St. Louis Workforce Report. That’s something we at the Science Center can’t help but be excited about.

As we look to the future of our region, the STEAM opportunities available across a spectrum of fields continue to grow, including aerospace, advanced manufacturing, biomedical and health services, and developing technology fields like fintech, geospatial and agtech. These fields will play important parts in our region over the coming years. But look around and you can see that, even today, we live in a STEAM-powered St. Louis.

In this issue of NewScience we’re proud to continue exploring the science happening both inside the Science Center and out in our community. Read about what’s new for our galleries, events and programs, and get a sneak preview of our upcoming special exhibition, Becoming Jane, about the life and work of renowned ethologist Dr. Jane Goodall. Dr. Goodall’s inspiring story helps highlight the contribution of women in STEAM, and I can’t wait for you all to experience it.

In Science Today, Katie Lefton, a PhD candidate at Washington University School of Medicine, explores an important but often overlooked part of the nervous system. Then discover more about Washington University and its role in putting STEAM to work in St. Louis, from scientific research like Ms. Lefton’s to thousands of jobs that contribute to the ecosystem of our local economy.

As the role of STEAM careers (and the demand for STEAM-skilled workers to fill them) continues to grow, I’m so proud of the work of our Youth Exploring Science (YES) Program. By inspiring a passion for science and technology, the YES Program is equipping our community with not only the curiosity to pursue STEAM, but also the skills to succeed in it. In this issue, you’ll find a number of stories illustrating how YES and our YES Teens are making an impact.

As always, thank you to our supporters—from our philanthropic partners and members to our community—for making our mission possible. The stories in this issue are all thanks to you. And to the many STEAM organizations across St. Louis, from longstanding partners to those we haven’t yet had the opportunity to partner with, thank you for helping show that science and technology can change our world and our city for the better.

I can’t think of anything more powerful than that.

Sincerely,

Todd Bastean
President & CEO

To ignite and sustain lifelong science and technology learning.

Mission of the Saint Louis Science Center