MANCHESTER – It was a good day for all during the 3rd Annual STEM Day at Regional Day School (RDS).
STEM is an umbrella term used to group together the distinct but related disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. STEM Day has become an annual tradition that celebrates and promotes those fields of study which has implications for workforce development, national security concerns (as a shortage of STEM-educated citizens can reduce effectiveness in this area), and immigration policy, with regard to admitting foreign students and tech workers.
The RDS building was filled with visitors and activities as students were busy engaging in creative STEM projects. This year, students were also found incorporating their literacy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy into their STEM activities.
Families were involved in the creative process STEM Day as Regional Day School students and members of their family worked together to create spring butterflies that now line their classrooms. (Photo courtesy Manchester Schools)
Students in A-Pod could be found exploring virtual reality, STEM roller coasters, and building stations such as this cardboard box station where students connected STEM lessons with literacy studies.
Mrs. Roselli’s class in B-Pod worked together with Speech Therapist Ms. Camilla, to make paper towel marker butterflies. Families were involved in the creative process as students, and a resource officer went step by step to create the beautiful spring butterflies that now line their classrooms.
They explored the science of bleeding markers with water into the paper towels and the mechanics of twisting and securing the butterfly pieces during the day’s program.
Meanwhile, across the hall in B-Pod, students explored building stations using different types of blocks and materials which allowed them to learn about chain reactions while using STEM roller coasters.
A Regional Day School student is busy at work on her special project during the 3rd Annual RDS STEM Day. (Photo courtesy Manchester Schools)
Students in Ms. Ellie’s class enjoyed working with 3D pens, making intricate flowers, animals, and more to share with their family and friends, while students in C-Pod connected their story about the Big Bad Wolf to creating homes like the three little pigs.
They also used blocks for bricks and spaghetti for straw homes before blowing them with air to determine if they would withstand the air force or fall down.
STEM programs are held in schools throughout the country and their roots began in the 1990s when Beverly Schwartz developed a STEM mentoring program in New York.
Schwartz was using the acronym as early as November 1991 and Charles E. Vela was the founder and director of the Center for the Advancement of Hispanics in Science and Engineering Education (CAHSEE) and started a summer program for talented under-represented students in the Washington, D.C. area called the STEM Institute.
A Regional Day School student enjoys the recently held 3rd Annual Regional Day School STEM Day. (Photo courtesy Manchester Schools)
Based on the program’s recognized success and his expertise in STEM education, Vela was asked to serve on the National Science Foundation (NSF) and numerous Congressional panels in science, mathematics, and engineering education.
At the urging of Dr. Peter Faletra, the Director of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists at the Office of Science, the acronym was adopted in 2001by Rita Colwell and other science administrators in the NSF. The Office of Science also adopted the STEM acronym early on.
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