STEM (an acronym for science, technology, engineering and mathematics) had its origins in the 1990s at the National Science Foundation (NSF) and has been used as a generic label for any event, policy, program, or practice that involves one or several of the STEM disciplines. However, a recent survey on the "perception of STEM" found that most professionals in STEM-related fields lacked an understanding of the acronym STEM. Most respondents linked the acronym to "stem cell research" or to plants (Keefe, 2010). Once again, the education community has embraced a slogan without really taking the time to clarify what the term might mean when applied beyond a general label. When most individuals use the term STEM, they mean whatever they meant in the past. So STEM is usually interpreted to mean science or math. Seldom does it refer to technology or engineering, and this is an issue that must be remedied. If STEM education is going to advance beyond a slogan, educators in the STEM community will have to clarify what the acronym actually means for educational policies, programs, and practices. In this article, the author presents several things that STEM might mean for contemporary education. He suggests that clarifying STEM literacy and establishing this as a fundamental purpose of school programs is a first step in advancing STEM education. He also discusses the challenges to advancing STEM education and how to address them. He concludes that advancing STEM education with a 2020 vision could respond to myriad contemporary challenges the nation now faces. (Contains 5 figures.)