Students and Their Families to Get Hands-On with STEM

Helping children understand STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Math – concepts can be a challenge for parents. But, help is on the way for families in the Kalamazoo area and beyond through the first-ever STEM QUEST on Saturday, November 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Kalamazoo Valley Community College’s Texas Township campus.

The daylong event, organized by the STEM division of the Michigan Crossroads Council, Boy Scouts of America, will give all youth in grades K-12 and their parents or caregivers opportunities to get hands-on experience with building and creating through this expansive discovery makerspace using creative technology, various electronics, underwater robotics, and more.

Chemistry instructor Jason Bishop said Kalamazoo Valley Community College is partnering with the MCC’s STEM division as a way to highlight the STEM opportunities available at the college. On a more personal level, he said he wanted to give back to Scouting for what he received during his time as both a Cub Scout and Boy Scout.

STEM QUEST, he said, will give the students and families who attend a better idea of the breadth and scope of STEM and how it is present in every area of their lives.

“We will have 30-plus vendors at the event demonstrating areas of the STEM field that they specialize in,” Bishop said. “A lot of people know that STEM is important, but I don’t think they know how it connects to everything in their lives and how broad it is. It includes everything from welding and plumbing to electrical work to the medical field. Seeing the depth and breadth of what the STEM field covers opens people’s eyes to what they can do. It allows them to know that this stuff is happening in their own backyard and being done by people just like them.”

Also on Nov. 9, at Kalamazoo Valley’s Groves Campus, area Girl Scouts will be participating in a Robotics Badge event. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Brownies, Juniors, Cadettes, Seniors and Ambassador Girl Scouts will explore what robots do, how to design them, and learn how they’re built and programmed. By the end of the day, participants will earn all three Robotic badges at their level. The registration deadline is Oct. 30. Go to https://www.gshom.org/en/events-repository/2019/badge_fest_robotics__65492968.html for details.

In addition to Kalamazoo Valley, other STEM QUEST partners include the Kalamazoo Regional Education Services Administration. Jason Luke, Southwest MiSTEM Director who works with KRESA and throughout the state of Michigan, said he thinks, “Anytime you can offer young people the opportunity to have hands-on experience with STEM-type programs and employers in those fields it gets them excited about careers in math, science and technology.”

Luke said more than half of Kalamazoo County’s students are using a STEM-based curriculum – an increase over what was happening five years ago.

“We’ve seen so much excitement toward programs like robotics and having access to programs that these students didn’t have five years ago. Employers in our community are really embracing helping young people to get into STEM-related careers that are the high wage, high demand jobs of the future,” Luke said. “We want parents to see that their child’s excitement about STEM isn’t just for the moment. STEM QUEST is among many tools designed for their child to find their passion and be successful in that particular area.”

Eric Suender, former high school principal and MCC STEM Executive, said he is grateful to have the support of established institutions such as KRESA and Kalamazoo Valley. He said the family component of this event is critical to the ongoing success of a child’s mastery of STEM concepts and ideas. “One of the main goals of this event is for the families to gain the knowledge for knowing who, what, when, where and how they can help their children understand STEM literacy and participate in future activities within the MiSTEM Network,” Suender said. “STEM QUEST is an inaugural method and on the pathway to help all of us in STEM Education be better together, providing robust options for all to participate.”

Cost of STEM QUEST is $10 per person. The cafeteria at Kalamazoo Valley Community College will be open and participants may also bring a sack lunch or snacks and water.

Register at http://bit.ly/STEMQuestPublic.