Written by Tanya Terry, with photos courtesy of STEMNETICS
On May 31, Flint Stem Day takes place at Atherton Elementary School, with free activities for the entire family.
Seun Phillips, director of STEMNETICS, said the event’s purpose is to bring the community together and get parent & families involved in hands on project.
“The overarching goal is to expose them to STEM, and we do that in a way where they’re able to collaborate,” Phillips added. “When they build robots, they’re able to learn about robots. They were able to learn about mechanical engineering when they built a car from a 3D printer. Then, they built structures so they can understand how to build a strong foundation and build the strongest tower. So, in essence, it’s really cool when you can see the parents and kids getting involved in STEM – and the community coming together for a fun event.”
The last Flint Stem Day took place on March 8.
The events are run through the support and sponsorship of the Ruth Mott Foundation and the Community Foundation of Greater Flint.
“That’s how we’re able to offer the event for no charge,” stated Phillips. “They provide us direct funding for the year. That grant funding helps us to do programs at the YMCA Safe Places, Boys and Girls Club, Berston Fieldhouse, Flint Development Center…We have programming at Einsenhower Elementary; we have programming at Doyle Ryder. And the funding that they provide is able to mix with those programs, as well as the Flint STEM Day.”
The Ruth Mott Foundation granted STEMNETICS $40,000 for the 2024-2025 grant period, and the Community Foundation of Greater Flint granted $48,5000 to STEMNETICS.
“At this upcoming event, we’ll be doing robotics again. They’ll be working with a project that’s been created from a 3D printer.”
Families will be able to work on a project using gears. In STEM, gears are fundamental components that play a crucial role in various mechanical devices.
“They’re going to learn about circuits through our hands-on projects, to understand how circuits work and how to make a complete circuit. They’ll learn what makes electricity work and function.”
For raffles, STEMNETICS has offered Amazon gift cards, gift cards to sponsor facilities such as to Sky Zone or Panera Bread. Phillips said the raffle prizes for this year had not been confirmed as of publication date.
Phillips said the upcoming Flint STEM Day event will be worthwhile even for families who have attended Flint STEM Day in the past.
“There will be a lot of different projects. I can say robotics. But, from the robotics-the demonstration can be you’re putting the ball into the goal. Then, another one can be you’re stacking up plates. The tool is the same, but the design competitions will be different. The last one was a car. This year, they’re building another one connected with gears, but it’s not going to be the same car.”
Phillips said the Flint community is important for STEMNETICS to reach.
“I think with STEM and technology, not only do we have the biggest companies that are focused in technology, but I think when it comes to thinking about where we’re going with artificial intelligence, the importance of being connected within the tech industry, it’s important for our students in the community to be exposed to it.
“Our goal is to keep interest and also drive their creativity so they’re able to stay in tune with what’s happening in the world and what’s happening with some of these large companies that exist in the world.
“On top of that, we see our program as a conduit to be able to just spark the interest of creativity in the nation.”
Phillips said the biggest thing for STEMNETICS is to make connections with what kids are learning in school with the STEM projects so the interest in education continues to grow.
For details, visit stemnetics.org/events
Community members can register using the code below, or at www.stemnetics.org/events.
