It has become increasingly important for students applying to competitive STEM programs to demonstrate creativity along with technical skills, intellectual curiosity, problem-solving, and collaborative skills. The noted that with the rise of advancing technologies such as generative artificial intelligence (gen AI) and machine learning, the top skills sought by employers now include creative thinking, as well as resilience, flexibility, agility, curiosity, and lifelong learning.
What does this mean for you as an independent educational consultant (IEC)? Helping students brainstorm and strategically choose experiences that demonstrate these skills will not only strengthen their college applications but also prepare them for future success in the workplace.
Here are some ways you can foster creativity in your STEM students and help them generate creative ideas for projects, research, and inventions, while also supporting interdisciplinary exploration.
Ask Them: What Problems Do You Want to Solve?
We love asking our engineering and computer science students this question. I use the following supplemental prompt to get started with brainstorming:
The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and their 14 Grand Challenges go hand-in-hand with our vision to engineer a better world for all humanity. Engineers and computer scientists are challenged to solve these problems in order to improve life on the planet. Learn more about the NAE Grand Challenges at and tell us which challenge is most important to you, and why.
For students interested in pursuing science, I ask them to pick a global health challenge they care about and then brainstorm ways they could use science to solve it. I also ask these students to reflect on a “why” or “how” question they can’t stop thinking about and encourage them to consider how they would like to explore it further.
For example, I had a student interested in using AI to solve problems in healthcare. He conducted independent research with a mentor on a convolutional neural network model to analyze skin tissue samples and help predict whether patients had malaria. Hands-on projects such as these—ones that incorporate real-world problems for students to solve—are an ideal way to get those creative juices flowing.
Encourage Participation in Hands-on Activities
Encourage students to join STEM clubs at schools or in their community. Being actively involved, and possibly taking on leadership roles, in robotics, hackathons, Science Bowl, HOSA, Red Cross, and other such organizations is a great way for students to gain exposure to hands-on learning opportunities. This will help them showcase their problem-solving and collaborative skills in their college applications and demonstrate how they worked with their peers on real-world challenges.
Include Non-STEM Interests
Ask your students to make a list of extracurricular activities they love. It is especially important to include non-STEM hobbies they enjoy, such as art, music, sports, games, or crafts. Next, ask them to think of creative, out-of-the-box ways to pair their interests in engineering or science with these non-STEM pursuits.
See if they can apply concepts of engineering or science to these pursuits in their own unique way. I had a student combine his interest in art and STEM to create lesson plans that incorporated colorful graphic illustrations to engage middle school students in learning STEM concepts in a fun way. Another student, who loved water polo and physics, applied the concepts of torque and collision to perfect his water polo shot. A student of mine who participated in track and field used physics concepts to analyze the mechanics of the high jump, helping her understand each motion and its effect on her jump, which enabled her to further optimize her performance. This approach encourages students to explore open-ended creative projects while also allowing them to pursue arts, music, and other non-STEM interests.
Brainstorm Creative Ways to Make an Impact in Their Community
Encourage students to reflect on their different communities. Next, help them identify problems they see in these communities that they can solve using skills they already have. For example, I had a student from a competitive, academically rigorous high school build an app for health and wellness to help his peers de-stress.
Another student in theater identified an ongoing issue of locating costumes and props, which were often lost or misplaced due to poor organization and storage. He built a database to help organize and track the costumes, props, and materials accumulated over the years in the storage area; he even coded a database management system to sort and track the items.
Above all, to create a safe place to experiment, discover, and unleash their creativity, make sure to normalize failure by celebrating every failed attempt as well as the small wins along the way. This helps students continue to self-reflect and learn to solve problems creatively.
By Jyoti Jain, MBA, 51Թ (CA) and Vita Cohen, MA, MAT, CEP, 51Թ (IL)