The Indian Head Elementary School recently hosted a STEAM-themed night for families in the community.
The event was coordinated by Chewan Watson, Marissa Ackerman, and Megan Swinea, and sponsored by various organizations, including Victor Foulk and CGI, Nickolas Demidovich from the Federal Aviation Administration, and representatives from the College of Southern Maryland Velocity Center and Boys and Girls Club Southern Maryland Chapter.
“I enjoy seeing the smile on the kids’ faces,” Watson said. “Happiness is seeing the families engage in activities and learning something new.” Staff members managed stations at the school.
The event featured crayon making, an air piano simulation with CGI, coding with Bee-bots, stargazing with telescopes, and wind tunnel experiments with coffee filters or tissue paper.
“I’m looking forward to looking through the telescope.” Aaryn and Bailey Miles, fourth graders at the school said. “I want to try the balloon-thing,” London Pickeral, fourth grader, added.
Pickeral refers to the balloon thing as a wind tunnel – a popular science project designed for students to learn about air movement. The transparent tube with a natural wind current helps students explore the power of adjusting the speed and direction of airflow, according to www.Kodokids.com. Users can put a coffee filter or tissue paper in the tube and watch it get pushed outside the tunnel.
The STEAM night allowed families to engage in different activities and bring free resources and experiences to the community, including information about afterschool programs and student camps.
Sponsors for the event included Victor Foulk, director of business development for strategic programs and employees from CGI. They provided Sphero Bots, coding, a selfie station and music creation with PI. Nickolas Demidovich with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was another sponsor at the event who provided the telescopes, stomp rockets and microscopes. Representatives from the College of Southern Maryland (CSM) Velocity Center and the chief executive officer (CEO) from the Boys and Girls Club Southern Maryland Chapter both attended the event.