[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 124 (Wednesday, September 15, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7138-S7139]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 623--COMMENDING THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF INTEREST IN 
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS BY THE ENTERTAINMENT 
                    INDUSTRY, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

  Mr. KAUFMAN (for himself, Mrs. Feinstein, and Mrs. Boxer) submitted 
the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation:

                              S. Res. 623

       Whereas science, technology, engineering, and mathematics 
     (referred to in this preamble as ``STEM'') are vital fields 
     of increasing importance in driving the economic engine of 
     the United States;
       Whereas STEM-educated graduates have and will continue to 
     play critical roles in helping to develop clean energy 
     technologies, to find life-saving cures for diseases, to 
     solve security challenges, and to discover new solutions for 
     deteriorating transportation and infrastructure;
       Whereas through 2018, STEM occupations are projected to 
     provide 2,800,000 job openings;
       Whereas over 90 percent of STEM occupations require at 
     least some postsecondary education;
       Whereas students across the country, especially young women 
     and underrepresented minorities, need greater understanding 
     and appreciation of STEM careers, and access to quality STEM 
     opportunities;
       Whereas the entertainment industry of the United States, 
     comprised of movies, television, theater, radio, DVDs, video 
     games, as well as other video and audio recordings and means 
     of communications, has an extraordinary ability to reach the 
     people of the United States, especially young people;
       Whereas the entertainment industry has begun to make 
     significant investments in support of STEM education; and
       Whereas, for example, the Entertainment Industries Council 
     has developed the Ready on the S.E.T. and . . . Action! 
     initiative to elevate the importance of science, engineering, 
     and technology in national entertainment and news productions 
     by connecting STEM experts, companies, and organizations with 
     the entertainment industry in order to disseminate accurate 
     information about STEM professionals and careers, and 
     producing the first-ever S.E.T. Awards Show this year to 
     award accurate and impactful portrayals of STEM in movies, 
     television series, radio and television news programs, and 
     print and online journalism: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) commends the effective use of the substantial influence 
     and resources of the entertainment industry of the United 
     States, by those members of the entertainment industry, such 
     as the Entertainment Industries Council, who are working to 
     encourage interest in the fields of science, technology, 
     engineering, and mathematics; and
       (2) urges the entertainment industry to continue to use the 
     creative talent, skills, and audience-reach at its disposal 
     to communicate the importance of science, technology, 
     engineering, and mathematics.

  Mr. KAUFMAN. Mr. President, I rise today to support the efforts of 
the entertainment industries to encourage interest in science, 
technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM. As the only serving 
Senator who has worked as an engineer, I am proud to sponsor a 
resolution acknowledging the essential role STEM professionals play and 
the important work that they do.
  I would also like to thank Senators Feinstein and Boxer for joining 
me in introducing this resolution.
  I truly believe that, whether one considers our dependence on fossil 
fuels, efforts to promote global health, new challenges in homeland 
security, or reinvesting in America's infrastructure, the next 
generation of STEM-educated graduates will be the problem solvers for 
the most important issues of our time.
  In fact, through 2018, STEM occupations are projected to provide 2.8 
million job openings. What is more, over 90 percent of STEM occupations 
require at least some postsecondary education.
  Yet, students across the country, particularly women and 
underrepresented minorities, need a better understanding of, and 
appreciation for, STEM careers. They also need better access to quality 
STEM opportunities and activities.
  Fortunately, the entertainment industry has recognized this need.
  The Entertainment Industries Council--a non-profit organization 
created in 1983 by leaders in the industry to raise awareness about 
major health and social issues--recently developed a similar initiative 
to elevate the importance of STEM in national entertainment and news 
productions. Ready on the S.E.T. and . . . Action! will connect STEM 
experts, companies, and organizations with the entertainment industry 
in order to disseminate accurate information about STEM professionals 
and careers.
  Moreover, for 14 years, the Entertainment Industries Council has 
produced the PRISM awards to honor productions and performances that 
accurately portray prevention, treatment, and recovery of substance 
abuse and mental illness. This year, they will produce the first-ever 
S.E.T. Awards Show to honor accurate and impactful portrayals of STEM 
in movies, television series, news programs, and print and online 
journalism.
  Specific programming has started to take off. PBS has a new show 
called SciGirls to support girls' interests in STEM. Each half-hour 
episode follows a different group of middle school girls who put 
science and engineering to work in their everyday lives. The young 
girls are aided in their quests by female mentors and a companion Web 
site is incorporated into the TV series.
  Just a few weeks ago, the Science Channel introduced Head Rush. This 
one-hour, commercial-free programming is targeted at middle school-age

[[Page S7139]]

students and explores STEM through hands-on experiments, video shorts, 
viewer questions and answers, games, and visits from special guests. 
Hosted by Kari Byron of Discovery's Mythbusters, there are three 
segments per show which each address a specific theme of the hour.
  The entertainment industry of the United States has an extraordinary 
ability to reach young people. Whether it is movies, television, radio, 
or video games, the entertainment industries reach many of our nation's 
youth, multiple times a day. I am so pleased that many in this industry 
are using this opportunity to positively impact their audiences by 
teaching them the wonders of STEM. I commend their efforts thus far and 
encourage them to continue to work to communicate the importance of 
STEM to their audiences. I truly believe support for STEM--in 
government, entertainment, and business--is essential for our economic 
growth and recovery. It is the future of our workforce. It is the key 
to our future prosperity.

                          ____________________