Elizabeth Blackburn, Nobel laureate in medicine; biochemist, University of California, San Francisco.

I think that the thing science educators have to do is teach one important lesson: that science requires immersion. A lot of teaching is about setting up these little projects. But real science happens when you’re really immersed in a question.

Now I’m not talking about general science literacy, which is one thing. I’m talking about science education aimed at developing a new generation of scientists, which is something else. The way we teach it now, with an hour of instruction here and a laboratory class there, it doesn’t allow for what has been my experience: that immersion is the essence of scientific discovery. Science just isn’t something you can do in one-hour-and-a-half bits. Digging deep is what makes people actually productive. If I could change one thing, it would be to build this idea into the curriculum.

Najib Jammal, principal, Lakeland Elementary/Middle School, Baltimore.

If I could change one thing, it would be to have the kids work in small groups more than they do now and get to apply their STEM learning to projects that benefit their community. We have a community garden, and we think it’s great to have the students design an irrigation system for it. This shows them how to apply their math problems to issues of sustainability. I’d like to see schools become self-sufficient and sustainable, and STEM work can help us get there.

Rita Colwell, cholera researcher; former director, National Science Foundation.

I’d like to bring graduate students in science, engineering and mathematics into the elementary, middle and senior high schools to teach the science to these K-12 students. The purpose is to elevate the science taught in the K-12 schools by providing teachers who are knowledgeable of their science, engineering or mathematics and, most importantly, love their chosen professions. The graduate students are closer in age to the K-12 students and serve as wonderful role models.

For 12 years, we had such a program, run by the N.S.F. But unfortunately, it has recently been cut and eliminated. It needs to be continued. These graduate students inspire youngsters to consider science, engineering or mathematics as a career. The youngsters find science fun; the graduate students are cherished mentors.

John Matsui, director, Biology Scholars Program, University of California, Berkeley.

I’d get rid of the Darwinian model we have in our basic college science courses — chemistry, biology, physics — where students are set against each other. At the beginning of the school year, the freshman chemistry or biology professor typically says, “Look around you — half of you won’t be here next year.”