DEERFIELD – Congressman Brad Schneider, D-Deerfield, encourages 10th District students to participate in the 2021-22 10th District STEAM Scholars program, an educational opportunity for local high school students to learn about science, technology, education, art and math through hands-on learning experiences.

STEAM Scholars will join Schneider on visits to four local STEAM-related businesses and facilities during the 2021-22 school year. On these visits, students will have the chance to participate in discussions with local employees, business owners and educators, and learn more about STEAM career opportunities in their backyard.

In previous classes, students visited Mitsubishi Electric Automation, Clorox Manufacturing, Chicago Executive Airport, the chemistry and photonics labs at College of Lake County, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, and Jessup Manufacturing. Visits have taken place virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“STEAM education is critical for preparing our next generation for the jobs of the future. The COVID-19 pandemic has only emphasized how important the STEAM fields are to our future, from developing vaccines to rolling out remote work software and finding creative solutions to new problems. I’m looking forward to joining this year’s class of STEAM Scholars on visits to STEAM facilities and businesses around the district in the upcoming school year,” Schneider said in a news release.

This will be the fourth class of STEAM Scholars after the inaugural 2018-19 class. The program previously was known as STEM Scholars but has changed to incorporate the arts and humanities fields. The program is open to all sophomores and juniors who live in or attend high schools located within Illinois’ 10th Congressional District. Because of space constraints, only two applicants from each high school will be selected for participation in the competitive program.

Students can apply online at https://schneider.house.gov/STEAMscholars by Sept. 1.