WACO, TX – For the first time since 1878, Waco residents and visitors will witness a total solar eclipse from the path of totality and experience darkness for four minutes and 13 seconds. To build excitement for this historic event, Education Service Center Region 12 will partner with the City of Waco to host STEAMclipse as part of the Eclipse Over Texas: Live From Waco events.
“It’s amazing that it’s been since the 1800s that a total solar eclipse came through this area,” said Andi Parr, an education specialist at ESC Region 12. “It just adds to the excitement and the scope and how big it's going to be. We look forward to sharing the excitement by hosting STEAMclipse to complement the time.”
STEAMclipse on Saturday, April 6, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., two days before the actual eclipse, will be a free, family-friendly celebration of the eclipse. The event will also encourage STEAM awareness, opportunity and education in the community through interactive booths, informational presentations and performances.
“What do we define as STEAM? That is a real tripping point because people have different ideas of what STEAM is,” Parr said. “It’s traditionally thought of as Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math as the five silos. We want to shift that thinking into STEAM being solve, think, experience, apply and make.”
Through hands-on experiments, crafts and demonstrations, attendees will be immersed in STEAM and see what all it encompasses. Interactive booths at the event will dive into robotics, augmented reality, astronomy, photography, cybersecurity, computational thinking, math, natural sciences, art, crafting, design and building.
“STEAM is not exclusive to just being a math person or a science person; it’s in all areas where you are intentionally problem-solving and working for a solution. That’s STEAM,” Parr said. “Building that capacity in our students and children and helping educate our community on what we’re really talking about with STEAM is huge.”
Entities involved, whether through booths, performances or presentations, include NASA, Lowell Observatory, Baylor University, McLennan Community College, Dr. Pepper Museum, Robonation, General Dynamic Electric Boat, BuildSubmarines.com, area schools and more.
More information is available www.esc12.net/steamclipse.