Kindergarten through eighth grade students “STEM”-u-lated their brains
on the evening of June 12 at the district’s annual Maker Faire. The
evening, consisting of forty different stations and workshops, was
centered around fun ways of interacting with the basics of physics and
engineering through hands-on learning. Each area of STEM (Science,
Technology, and Engineering, and Mathematics’) was represented with
stations run by volunteer district faculty and John H. Glenn students.
Accompanied by their parents, K–8 students indulged their scientific
curiosity by visiting the “Squishy Circuit” station, where they learned
to make a working electrical circuit with play dough, learned how to
manipulate a VEX robot to complete block challenges, played a
larger-than-life game of chutes and ladders, tested their math skills in
a multiplication war, and much more.
"Our goal is to create experiences that allow parents and family members
to be learning partners with our students,” said Eileen Kelly-Gorman,
Director of Math, Science and Technology. “We love to see our students
just as excited to learn as they are to have fun.”
Parents both looked on proudly and jumped in on activities with their
children, marveling at their resourcefulness and determination to
successfully complete the tasks set before them.
"The amount of resources we have available through district materials,
as well as generous donations from various community organizations,
allow students to explore the world of STEM,” said Instructional
Technology Specialist Krista Albrecht, “and it is so wonderful to watch
students and parents discovering and learning side by side at an event
like this.”