The introduction of the U.S. Department of Education’s webpage on STEM states, “In an ever-changing, increasingly complex world, it's more important than ever that our nation's youth are prepared to bring knowledge and skills to solve problems, make sense of information, and know how to gather and evaluate evidence to make decisions. These are the kinds of skills that students develop in science, technology, engineering, and math, including computer science—disciplines collectively known as STEM/CS.” While this is an excellent summary of the need, getting kids interested in STEM can be tricky, especially when they are very young. To help explain early childhood STEM, I reached out to Karen Martinson. Karen is the founder of Early STEM Ed, an organization that supports parents, teachers, and out of school time professionals in establishing and maintaining early STEM education programs. She also happens to be the teacher that turned my kid into a chemistry junkie. More information about Karen can be found at www.TalkingAboutKids.com.