TEMPLE, Texas — The Temple Independent School District will be hosting a district-wide STEM event in connection with America Recycles Day next week. The event, featuring the theme “A Greener Future with STEM,” will be held Thursday, November 14th, from 5:30-7:00 p.m. at Thornton Elementary School.
The STEM event is free and open to the public and will focus on the long-term benefits of robotics, recycling, and sustainability. There will be 20 different activity stations at the event, staffed by district student and staff volunteers. The activities will all be focused along the theme of ways that robotics, technology, and sustainability can lead to a “greener” future and will be geared toward students at all grade levels.
There will be activities grouped in different areas of Thornton’s campus, including the garden, the library, the cafeteria, and the gym. Some of those stations will feature resources provided by grants or donations from the district’s partnership with Meta. Those resources include Lego, Sphero, and VEX robotics, Oculus virtual reality gear, and Merge Cube augmented reality experiences. Campus robotics teams and astronomy clubs will also be on hand as the district showcases many of the STEM resources available to students and staff.
“We want people to take away the opportunities that new technology can provide to our community when it comes to creating an impact on our environment,” said Ashley Jones, director of digital learning for Temple ISD. “Our goal is that after this event, we are able to inspire students and families to dive into learning more about robotics, and learning more about augmented reality and virtual reality, and how those can be used to enhance our community.”
One new feature for this year’s STEM event will be a student challenge involving the recycling theme called “Trash into Treasure.” Students were given the opportunity to take recyclable material from their home and turn it into something new and useful. Those projects will be entered into a drawing for a gift card. There will also be an area highlighting STEM related projects from campuses across Temple ISD.
“We are excited about showing students what we can provide and then seeing what they will do with the technology and the lessons,” Jones added. “What will kids build from the activities we provide and how will that enhance their learning and our community, and what jobs or careers will that inspire them to look into and explore. That is what is so exciting for me, to see those ‘Aha’ type moments.”
Community partners participating in the event including Temple College, Temple Public Library, Keep Temple Beautiful, and doctors from Baylor Scott and White. The Temple College STEM bus will also be on site.