Sunday, January 26, 2014

STEM EXPO IN REVIEW!

Over 400 visitors attended this year's Expo!
                              The  3rd Annual Think Tank and STEM Expo Math Problem:

What do you get when you mix 44 scientists, engineers, educators and professionals from national leading STEM organizations with 40 volunteers, then add in 200 excited elementary learners and 250 (just as excited )adults?  You end up with ONE amazing night of THINKING AND LEARNING!

AEOP brought their night vision lab! How cool! They also gave away waterproof notepads.
The cold and snow didn't slow this event one bit! Words can't possibly begin to explain this year's event so I'll rely on the pictures to tell the story!While not every table is represented in the pictures below, many are! As more pictures come in, I'll be sure to add them!

(For a more detailed description of the event, visit The Hill is Home for a post by a visitor!) 

3-D Printer at work. Special case even created by engineer Erik Donald so kids could get up close and personal!
Erik Donald shows off the model rocket his printer printed during the Expo... and a lucky student took home!

Families start to stream in, kids have their "swag bags" in hand. This area held Metro Warriors STEM Robotics!
4th Grade student  helps PK student "fix" a remote control car he built!
Maury Librarian and Technology guru focused on helping students learn how to code with www.code.org !

The District Architecture Center table was hit!

Anacostia Watershed Society's engages families in activities about our own back "yard"


During the Expo there were three presentations in the my classroom from amazing raptor expert Jo Santiago from Flying Higher LLC's! Thanks to the National Forest Service for bringing this amazing presentation


One of 3 packed houses for the hawks and owls.




STEM "Wizard" learns through CAPSDC

Volunteers from 5 Divisions of National Institutes of Health share their work with students!

Toby Ratcliffe from National Defense Education Program and Engineering is Elementary for her awesome submersible experiments with students!
Toni Burnham with DC Beekeepers  shares her expertise with future beekeepers!

The National Forest Service team had one popular (and messy) station! Students made "milkweed mud balls" allowing them to take home seeds to start their own Monarch waystations!

DC Department of Environment's Dan Rauch, Laura Washington, Michelle Lewis and Teresa Rodriguez led nearly 100 students in making their own bird feeders, examining live amphibians and sharing the many resources DDoE's Aquatic Resource Center has to offer!

Lindsey Williams from NOAA shares "shoebox nautical charting" with interested students.
Labyrinth Games and Puzzles Owner Kathleen Donahue welcomes early visitors to the ever popular game tables. These games stimulate problem solving, spacial skills and more!

Master Astronomer Guy Brandenburg from National Capital Astronomers braved 3 hours in the single digits to allow visitors a clear view of Jupiter and it's 4 moons! He MADE that telescope himself! You were lucky to catch it without a long line, even in the cold!
NOAA's Center for Atmospheric Sciences at Howard University allowed students the chance to become young chemists!
 
Living Classrooms had awesome bridge building activities for students.





DC Water's LaDawne White and "Wendy the Water Drop" get students excited about water conservation!




NOAA and National Science Foundation prepare their station all about fresh and salt water!


TuVa Labs showed students how to find real life data using their great online platform!


Thank you to Camsie McAdams, Senior Advisor on STEM Education at the US Department of Education for visiting our event! She brought along colleague Marisa Bold (not pictured) and I loved seeing them engaging with students and families.
Thanks to Maya Garcia, Director of STEM Education at OSSE, Mary Lord, DC Board of Education and Brian Pick, Chief of Teaching and Learning for DCPS for visiting our Expo and engaging with students and families!



Many thanks to ALL involved, to my amazing principal for valuing the Think Tank program and my initiatives and to each and every visitor for making this night a success.

Now Maury families get ready.... your children are about to embark on huge engineering units in all grades! Info coming soon:)

-Vanessa Ford

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