MARINE CORPS AIR STATION BEAUFORT, S.C. --
Students at Bolden Elementary School on Laurel Bay held their third annual STEMposium event, May 1.
STEMposium is the culmination of the science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, curriculum. Students in STEM learn how to apply these subjects in everyday life.
“It definitely promotes problem solving,” said Javier Graham, STEM coordinator at Bolden Elementary. “We want these students to figure out solutions on their own.” The STEM program is split into two groups, said Dr. Bruce Evans, a science teacher at Bolden Elementary. Half the students use robotics kits to build robots that perform useful tasks like feeding animals or constructing buildings, While the other half creates video games for learning and education.
One project is centered on creating a model moon buggy for scientific research in space. Students designed and created a vehicle to accomplish certain tasks like sliding down a ramp and stopping in the right place.
“We have to use science to think of how we’re going to build this, engineering to create it, math to angle the ramp, and technology with the computer,” said Brandon Lipsy, a middle school student at Bolden.
The STEM program is designed to give students a basic understanding of the core subjects and encourage the pursuit of careers in those fields.“We’re hoping they can move into math and engineering after we've given them a little taste for it,” said Evans.
According to the STEM mission statement, the program plays a vital role in educating the next generation of innovators and inventors. More information about STEM can be found at www stemedcoalition.org.