Family Focused Events reinforce the Opportunity for Hands-on Explorations in STEAM – Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math
As you know, at Dassault Systèmes, we are more than always convinced that it is important to introduce children, from an early age to technology and science. And it appears that SOLIDWORKS Apps for Kids is the perfect tool to empower young kids to learn about design, engineering and creativity to make things in a fun, easy, and friendly environment. This way, we are used to attending festivals, maker faires and other family events. We recently had the pleasure of attending 2 of them, allowing children to discover or learn more about STEAM.
FENWAY PARK’S EDUCATION DAY: exposing students to different STEM concepts and technologies
The first event we participated in was Fenway Park’s Education day on September 19, the second STEM event of the year organized by the Red Sox and Citgo. The first STEM Education Day, held on May 1, focused on science, weather and engineering. This second one highlighted NASA and other important space initiatives. Both gave New England students, grades two through nine, the opportunity to learn about STEM in a unique environment.
Indeed, Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, is the oldest stadium in Major League Baseball and one of its most famous. We were honored and thrilled to be part of Fenway Park’s Education day, hosting over 4,000 students and their teachers in Massachusetts. And 500 elementary and middle school students
You certainly are familiar with Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Education. STEAM education adds the “Art” element: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math.
Art is where SOLIDWORKS Apps for Kids goes to the front of the class by providing free, creative, fun apps for kids ages 4-14. Parents and kids could discover our web-based apps and create their accounts back home. Thanks to those apps, they could engage their young minds to learn and explore the science behind shapes, dimensions, and moving mechanisms.
When reporter Levan Reid, CBS News Boston covers an event, you know it’s great!
The Massachusetts STEM Week: Emphasizing hands-on learning and discovery
The second event was the Massachusetts STEM Week, supported by the Boston Children’s Museum, with its 4th hands-on CreatedBy Festival 2022, on October 15. The festival highlighted the inspirational work of local artists, technologists, innovators, and creative do-ers! But not only since this was also the occasion to address elementary school-aged attendees by offering them free daily virtual STEAM events. Our partner BlocksCAD was participating in this event, and their teacher Zedhalina had a great time working with 50+ kids, showing them how to build 3D models using the Apps for Kids software and discussing how 3D printing works.
Massachusetts STEM Week is a statewide effort to boost all learners’ interest, awareness, and ability to envision themselves in STEM education and employment opportunities and complement the formal instruction happening in the Commonwealth beyond STEM week. The Museum continues its annual support of STEM Week engagement to ensure that it can be celebrated by middle and high schoolers and elementary school-aged families.
Boston Children’s Museum draws on its long tradition and history of STEAM innovation in service of children and families exploring, experimenting, and learning together. Therefore, the CreatedBy Festival offered children and families the opportunity to see the work of local creatives and be inspired by science and art’s fun and fulfilling potential. Children could actively participate in seeing, touching, and doing things they hadn’t tried before.
STEAM for kids develops creators, thinkers, problem solvers, doers, innovators, and inventors. Exposing kids to simple STEM or STEAM activities at an early age sets a foundation for higher learning tomorrow.
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