STEM OUTREACH
From fairs and guest speakers to summer camps and the arrival of the STEM Mobile, the Kummer Center for STEM Education spent the year connecting with teachers and students from across Missouri. With an emphasis on working with districts that are traditionally underserved, the STEM Center hosted students and teachers at various events on campus, including summer camps in June and July, and the Regional STEM Conference in early August.
STEM Mobile Ribbon Cutting
The Kummer Center for STEM Education team celebrated in May its new STEM Mobile with a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Rolla Area Chamber of Commerce at the Carney Puck and Plaza. Children and teachers visiting from area schools posed for photos with the van before exploring virtual reality, left, and the center’s inflatable planetarium on the Puck. The STEM Mobile makes it possible to introduce young minds to the possibilities of studying and working in STEM‑related fields, regardless of what part of the state they’re from or the level of resources at their school districts.
May the Fourth Be With You
The Kummer Center for STEM Education team celebrated in May its new STEM Mobile with a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Rolla Area Chamber of Commerce at the Carney Puck and Plaza. Children and teachers visiting from area schools posed for photos with the van before exploring virtual reality, left, and the center’s inflatable planetarium on the Puck.
Summer Camps
In addition to favorites such as Jackling Intro to Engineering and Explosives Camp, S&T offered several new summer camps in 2023. Participants in the Mechanical Crash Course Camp, pictured top left, designed and built a product for which they gave a sales pitch, and the Minority Introduction to STEM campers, pictured bottom left, participated in several hands‑on activities, including designing mousetrap-powered vehicles.
STEM Day
S&T’s campus STEM Day activities on Nov. 8, 2022, drew nearly 1,000 K–12 students. Supervised groups of up to 15 students self-guided their participation by selecting from over 50 science experiments, including chemistry, robotics and mining activities. In the “painting with fire” session, pictured above and at right, students learned about energetic science by creating their own artwork using black powder and fire.
STEM Conference
S&T’s inaugural Regional STEM Conference July 31–Aug. 1 brought together K–12 educators to share their knowledge, experiences and resources while learning new techniques to invigorate and inspire their classrooms. In a workshop titled “Design Thinking and the Design Process,” teachers explored design thinking, how to apply it to STEM learning, and how to use it in hands-on activities (LEGOs are optional).
Missouri State Fair
Thousands of fairgoers visited Missouri S&T’s section of the Missouri State Fair Aug. 10–20 in Sedalia. S&T provided live demonstrations from several academic departments, hands-on activities, games, technology such as robots and virtual reality, giveaways, and information about the university each day. Visitors could also see the STEM Mobile and learn how to schedule it for events.
