WACO, Texas – Due to academies and camps being all virtual or canceled in response to the pandemic, parents and kids alike are looking for enrichment opportunities with hands-on activities. Education Service Center Region 12 and the Ecosystem Design Team are hoping that this need combined with the goal to introduce and create awareness about science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) will result in a win-win for families and our future workforce.
STEMFEST Community Day will be held, Saturday, 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. at the Mayborn Museum Complex in Waco.
According to labor projections, Texas is expected to have the second-highest percentage of the nation’s future STEM job opportunities. ID Tech says millions of STEM jobs are projected to go unfilled in the near future. In fact, it's estimated that 3.5 million jobs will need to be filled by 2025. To prepare the future workforce, the Texas Education Agency established the Texas EcosySTEM, which unites stakeholders to work towards the common goal of increasing access for young people to STEM-rich learning environments. The Region 12 EcosySTEM Design Team is excited to host this free community event at the Mayborn Museum, funded by the Texas EcosySTEM.
"The ultimate goal for this event is to engage kids, pique their interests and to share the numerous job possibilities and paths to learn skills for success in STEM careers," said Math & Computer Science Education Specialist Andi Parr. I am so thankful to our partners and design team for helping to make this event possible.
Families are invited to learn all about STEM through this interactive event that includes engaging activities from local partners. The free event will provide a self-paced format for families to come at a time convenient for them. Activities include:
Free access to all Mayborn exhibits
Hand-son dinosaur & fossil exhibit/activities
Make a Robotic Hand!
Circuitry & Coding
Hands-on science experiments
Wetland creatures and their habitat
Mission on Mars
Dive into medical science
Gaming with the Osmo,
Mobile STEM Truck
Giveaways & Snowcone Truck
Activities are primarily geared toward 3rd-8th graders, but all are welcome!
“It has been challenging to find hands-on science or tech camps this summer. “The few that were available were limited in age scope and were full by early June.” “I’ve seen some online programs, but my kids want and need the in-person experiences,” said a mother of four from China Spring.
Participating partners or members of The Region 12 EcosySTEM Design Team
Girl Scouts of Central Texas - Mobile STEM Lab and Minute to Win It Games
(CRASR) Center for Reservoir and Aquatic Systems Research - interactive station and informative booth
Mayborn Museum Complex - Event Host with many exhibits
MCC - Informational presentation and booth
Center for Reservoir & Aquatic Systems Research
Midway ISD - interactive station with Osmos
Prosper Waco
talkSTEM - goody bags
Texas Instruments - interactive station with coding and robotics
City of Waco Solid Waste Department - interactive booth
Bosque Museum - interactive booth
Waco Mammoth National Monument - interactive booth
Ward’s Science - interactive station with circuits
Baylor University - interactive station with microscopes
For information about the event’s activities or to join as a partner, contact Andi Parr at aparr@esc12.net or 254.297.1212.
About The Region 12 EcosySTEM Design Team