On Monday evening, May 20th, from 5:30-7, Delran STEM hosted the 7th annual STEM Fair with over forty exhibits from our school STEM programs, our community partners from the Delran STEM Ecosystem Alliance, local businesses, and higher education institutions. The variety of activities and programs provided for an active, engaging evening of learning, with over 600 guests and participants in attendance.
At the entrance, participants were provided with reusable water bottles, customized in the Fab Lab, to reuse not only throughout the evening at our refillable water stations, but beyond the event as well as a sustainability effort. Upon entering the building, attendees could explore T-shirt creating in the FabLab, utilize translation services, learn about Delran K-5 Math, and obtain additional information about the annual summer STEAM Up Camp. STEMbassador Campbell Willard served as a student ambassador, providing tours to other schools who are interested in creating labs and/or expanding STEM programming.
Many STEMbassadors were on hand in the Fab Lab, which was bustling throughout the evening with participants creating their own colorful Bear Wear on shirts and totebags. The stencils were created on the Trotec laser engravers. DelranSTEM staff members Paul Maraldo and Shaun Deloche supervised the program, while STEMbassadors were observed helping participants place the stencils and create their vibrant designs with paint. Deloche noted STEMbassador Olivia Messina went above and beyond assisting as many families and guests as possible, doing a great job helping them create their tote bags and t-shirts.
The gym was a hub for learning, with many school clubs, businesses, and vendors offering activities such as robotics and Legos, as well as information on STEM in the community, such as Pelham Admissions Edge and others.
One of the clubs, the Ornithological Society of Delran, had advisor Mr. Nate Pettite and student representatives Helen Carruol and Tori Lohbauer educating about birding. They placed paper birds around the gym to teach students how to use binoculars and identify different species of birds. They also showcased the wood laser engraved ornaments that they sell annually as a fundraiser, explaining that the birds selected annually are each a special bird they saw on their trips during that school year, such as the Cedar Waxwing. Mr. Pettite and several members of the club recently presented at a DelranSTEM Family STEM Night to guide us on using the bird watching items in the Cosi Nature kits (read more here).
Mrs. Michelle Reasso, Library Media Specialist at Millbridge, was overseeing the Millbridge Green Team table, a popular choice for students as it had many hand-made carnival games made from recycled materials. Additionally, participants played the board game “Bee Aware,” which was created by second graders to educate how to help the bees. These students read books, performed research, and created the gameboard and game cards to educate. For example, the cards created allow players to move forward for positive activities for bees but move back spaces for negative actions impacting bees, like spraying chemicals.
The DIS Green Team discussed how students in the different grades learn different environmental and conservation topics, such as meteorology and weather patterns. Students used the Canvas Learning Management System to record their data about the weather each day to analyze and compare. Older students researched animals for the Linked Up project with the Philadelphia Zoo to learn about preservation.
The Delran Municipal Green Team had many activities, and discussed their multiple collaborations with Delran Schools. An upcoming event is on June 1st, which is National Trails Day. The Green Team worked with the Fab Lab to create QR codes for the trails throughout the area. They have scavenger hunt mini activity books for all to enjoy on the nature trails.
Two STEMbassadors, Allison Lucuski and Aryana Patel, ran a table with the organization Girls Code the World. They currently intern with the organization, which offers programs such as a summer camp, mentorships, and other opportunities. When asked about the organization, Allison enthusiastically recommended anyone interested in either the programs or interning become involved with the non-profit, stating the work they do is inspiring.
Also in the gym, Marketa’s Journey recognized scholarship recipient Paige Flynn, a senior STEMbassador. Marketa’s Journey is an organization that honors the life of Marketa McCabe and was founded by her family after her passing in 2021. Marketa was a humanitarian and gifted in many ways, such as in the sciences, athletics, the arts, and environmentalism. The organization sponsors events and scholarships in her memory (read more here). Like Marketa, Paige is passionate about the environment and community service which focuses on environmentally-focused activities. She also is involved in the Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge and will be majoring in Conservation Biology at SUNY next year.
Our Life Skills Horticulture students combined their studies on gardening with entrepreneurship, selling compost that is created from the DMS Food Waste Warriors project. The Food Waste Warriors program was funded by a sustainability grant from The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (read more about the DMS Food Waste Warriors and the grant here). Upstairs in the Greenhouse, Horticulture teacher Mr. Aaron Fiordimondo discussed their curriculum and various gardens and the dedication to sustainability. He showed several examples of reuse of foods, such as planting onions, and showcased many of the vegetables and pollinator plants the high school students are cultivating. It was interesting to learn about how food scraps can be composted and then utilized in gardens to grow more vegetables and plants.
The gym also housed exhibits from the DMS Mary B. Chiaccio Science Fair and the DHS Physical Science Fair. Students were on hand to explain their projects and were honored by the Board of Education after the STEM Fair on Monday night as well. Many staff members assisted with the Science Fair: From DMS, staff included Mr. Doug Kennedy, Mrs. Amy Yodis, Mrs. Katie Conroy, Mr. Jon Skvir, Mrs. Kim Haddad, Mr. Rick Cameron, and Mrs. Jenny Hoffman, and from DHS Mrs. Siobhan McVay and Mrs. Saba Kennedy-Flomo. Judges also volunteered from both schools. The Delran Secondary PTA donated the awards for all winners.
Radwell International had a table with a demonstration of a robotic arm. Radwell Research and Development Supervisor Joseph Waldman was a Delran High School alumni, who applauded the experiences and opportunities DelranSTEM students have available in their curriculum and school programs. For example, students in Supply Chain Management recently took a field trip to Radwell International to learn about the company and the various related career pathways (read more here).
A popular choice among attendees were the activities provided by Lockheed Martin, including gum drop towers, penny boats, DIY lip gloss, and creating gliders. Several Delran High School alumni are now working for Lockheed Martin and were volunteering at their tables, including Deanna Jackson, Brendon Jackson, and Julia Ma. Julia Ma noted she was happy Delran schools offered programming opportunities in computer science prior to pursuing higher education programs, noting that as a Software AI Engineer she uses Python daily. Brendon Jackson also noted that AP Chemistry and AP Physics coursework from DHS and the interactivity of the teachers he had helped spark an interest in those areas, which were foundations for the higher education he pursued to become a Test Engineer for launcher systems. Additionally, in the Media Center, engineers from Lockheed Martin were demonstrating a Tesla Coil early in the evening. Lockheed Martin has provided many opportunities for Delran students this year, such as their annual Women in Engineering Day and a Leadership Forum for students interested in engineering careers.
Down the hall, in the Cafeteria, a mobile Star Lab allowed students to immerse themselves into astronomy, while in classrooms, STEMbassadors hosted several mini STEM activities. STEMbassador Paige Flynn offered creative stories to accompany the projects in the star lab, while other STEMbassadors, like Suhani Patel, Sena Uslu, and Maddie Speigel, led students in various astronomy activities, such as themed coloring activities and creating a galaxy with stickers and crafting supplies while they awaited their turn in the mobile star lab. In one of the classrooms, STEMbassador Samantha Wuebker led participants in “Mission to Mars” with Ozobots. These small robots utilize unplugged coding, where the code is created using colored markers on paper rather that in a computer or device. In the Lego room, STEMbassadors Minnah Khan, Iris Li, and Raegan Langowski were observed encouraging students and engaging in open-ended questions with students to describe their creations and design processes.
Outside, in the parking lots, food trucks like Kona Ice and Capixaba’s Pizza were available if you worked up an appetite. There were demonstrations from the Delran Fire and Police Departments regarding the technology used for each job, electric vehicle showcases from the Delaware Valley Tesla Owners Club and the South Jersey EV Club, and a welding simulator and RV from Universal Technical Institute. One of the DHS students also provided receptacles and information about eWaste recycling as part of a passion project.
Thank you to all of the businesses, vendors, clubs, organizations, volunteers, teachers, and STEMbassadors who made the STEM Fair a success!
What’s Next with DelranSTEM?
DHS Students will be attending a career panel on Tuesday, May 28 to learn more about aviation careers from four professional representatives from the FAA's William J. Hughes Technical Center.
Students entering grades two through eight can register for STEAM Camp & STEAM Academy, held over four weeks in the Fab Lab this summer. The registration deadline is May 26. For more information or to register, please visit https://www.delranstem.org/steamcamp
Kommentare