In an effort to enhance STEM education for K-12 students across South Carolina, Clemson’s Division of Community, Engagement, Belonging and Access announced the launch of a new “STEM SC” initiative in July.
To accomplish this initiative, the University has partnered with STEM Global Action, an organization that is “committed to exposing, inspiring and engaging members of the community into the world of STEM” by delivering learning opportunities, activities, programs and events with an emphasis on underserved communities, according to their website.
The core mission of STEM SC will be to “engage students in hands-on, project-based STEM learning” through two primary events: STEM Fest and STEM Saturday, according to an article by Clemson News.
STEM Fest is a free, three-hour event that allows up to 1,000 students and parents to interact with 50 hands-on stations, each related to a different element of STEM industries. The goal of these stations is to “explore science in new ways, experience technology in different applications, engage in engineering activities and embrace the fun in STEM-related activities,” according to Clemson News.
At each station, families will also have the opportunity to interact with student and professional volunteers who work in various STEM fields.
There will be three opportunities to attend STEM Fest in locations across the state. The first STEM Fest was held on Aug. 24 at Spring Valley High School in Columbia, South Carolina, and welcomed over 700 students, parents and volunteers, according to an article by Clemson News.
The second STEM Fest is scheduled to take place on Oct. 5 at Southside High School in Greenville. Each event is expected to last from 9 a.m.-noon, according to their website.
Alongside STEM Fest, the STEM SC initiative will incorporate STEM Saturdays, which are monthly events designed for families and local communities to learn about STEM together.
Registration is capped at 200 participants, with 50 slots reserved for K-12 students. Each STEM Saturday will focus on a particular theme. This year’s themes will focus on “coding, renewable energy, force and motion, and the circulatory system,” according to the STEM SC website.
Each STEM Saturday converts community spaces into laboratories made of 40 tables, each manned by at least one student and one professional volunteer who works in STEM fields, according to Clemson News.
The first STEM Saturday was held on Sept. 14 at Wilson High School in Florence, South Carolina, with a focus on the heart and the circulatory system. South Pointe High School in Rock Hill, South Carolina, is scheduled to host the next STEM Saturday on Nov. 9 and will emphasize chemistry, according to the STEM SC website.
Alongside other University efforts, STEM SC aims to develop and retain South Carolina students while generating early interest in critical STEM fields.
“We see STEM SC as part of the talent pipeline that all the other Clemson programs are creating,” Sara Hanks, director of strategic initiatives for CEBA, told Clemson News. “It will be at the beginning of the line and directly connected to the students’ communities.”
CEBA has not responded to The Tiger’s request for comment.
Anyone who is interested in registering for STEM Fest or STEM Saturday can visit the STEM SC website for more information. Clemson students and faculty who would like to volunteer for either event can also visit the website to learn how to get involved.
