William Penn University to Host South Central Iowa’s First Educator-Focused STEM Festival
William Penn University
William Penn University will host a free Make-N-Take Educator STEM Festival on January 27, 2015. The event is tailored for teachers who are looking for science, technology, engineering and math activities for classroom/youth group use. It’s open to the public and will take place from 6:00-8:00 p.m. in the Penn Activity Center. Registration is appreciated, but walk-ins are welcome.
The festival came about when Breanne Garrett, a math professor at William Penn, wanted to bring a STEM event to the Oskaloosa area. “We’re excited about hosting a make-n-take for teachers because we know that they can take our ideas back to their students and impact more k-12 youth than we ever could with an event for just children,” said Garrett.
The PreK-12 festival is designed to serve both formal and informal educators. “We wanted to be sure to include all educators in the area, which by our definition are all adults that influence the learning of youth. That’s why we are reaching out to K-12 teachers, but also youth group leaders, teacher education students, after school programs, home-school and interested parents, daycare centers, etc.”
Partnering with the Governor’s STEM Initiative, the festival will host a variety of exhibits and presentations, including the Iowa Children’s Museum, IPTV, Army Corp of Engineers, William Penn and Graceland professors, Pella PEERS Program, Mahaska 4-H, Iowa Ag Literacy, Nutrients for Life, and many more!
Dr. Sarah Derry, SC STEM Hub Manager, notes the importance of such a festival. “When you give educators a tool, they impact every student they touch year after year. Events like this increase teacher confidence and competence to engage youth in great STEM activities.”
If you’d like to exhibit or present at the festival, attend as a participant, or need additional information, please visit the SC STEM Hub’s website: scstemhub.drake.edu.
Garrett hopes those who attend will gain at least one or more new idea that can be adapted to fit their learning needs and shared with students over the next few years. “Those students may be inspired by the activities to pursue an education and career geared toward STEM,” says Garrett. “The state of Iowa needs them!”
