Penn College hosts STEMFest
Wednesday, May 8, 2024
Photos by Rob Hinkal, social media specialist
More than 275 middle school students and teachers, representing 13 schools in 10 counties, visited campus Wednesday as part of STEMFest, a celebration of engineering and technical careers.
Students rotated through STEM-centered, hands-on workshops led by Penn College faculty and staff. Activities ranged from programming robots to creating electrical circuits to constructing popsicle stick bridges. Other activities included an engineering design challenge that tasked students to build the tallest paper tower and a visit from the PlastiVan, a national education outreach program promoting careers in plastics.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for these kids. I think it’s going to be great for them to have the exposure to the different programs offered here,” said Kurt Eck, a science teacher for St. Joseph School in Danville. “They think of engineering as being one thing, and they are already getting exposure to how engineering encompasses so many different fields.”
‘I think this will get kids interested in STEM fields,” added Stacie Kilgore, a teacher from the East Lycoming School District. “Science is something I feel like we need a little bit more in our classroom. Anything we can do to get our kids to see what things they can do in their future is tremendous.”
STEMFest was supported by the PAsmart Grant “STEM Careers Re-Imagined: An Industry and Education Collaborative.” The grant aims to increase access for rural students to STEM career pathways.
The teachers who accompanied their students to STEMFest participated last summer in an externship at Penn College that exposed them to manufacturing and construction fields and introduced them to new Pennsylvania K-12 Science Standards. The educators received a 3D printer for their classroom to encourage student engagement opportunities.
“I brought home with me the 3D printer, and the kids were super excited about that just because it was something brand new,” Kilgore said.
“I took so many ideas back to the classroom that we have been using. That’s been almost invaluable at this point,” Eck said.
As for the impact of STEMfest, Justin Reynolds, a student from Towanda, summed it up best: “There’s a lot of careers out there. A lot of different opportunities and you can do a lot.”
