U.S. Representative Ed Royce

In the summer of 1969, America landed a man on the moon and secured a spot at the front of the international space race.

In the decades since, the United States has continued to lead the way in scientific and technological discovery, with many of the most important innovations in the last 50 years happening right here in California.

However, recent reports have revealed American students are increasingly falling behind in proficiency in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, or STEM – the areas of study in which our nation must excel in order to remain a leader.

The jobs of the 21st century are jobs in STEM: whether it's a mechanical engineering position at Lockheed Martin here in Southern California or a job in information technologies for Exxon Mobile in Dubai. In fact, jobs in STEM fields are growing faster than any other industry except health care. By 2018, one in 20 global jobs, an estimated 2.8 million, will be STEM related.