More than 460 middle school students from central Arkansas will come to the University of Central Arkansas on Wednesday, May 8, to engage in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) demonstrations, experiments, games and activities.
Presented by UCA’s College of Natural Science and Mathematics, the annual STEM Day at UCA offers STEM educational opportunities to under-resourced middle schools in and around Faulkner County. The day’s activities are facilitated by UCA faculty and students.
“This is our third annual STEM Day at UCA, and it’s bigger than ever,” said STEM Day coordinator and UCA microbiology laboratory coordinator Samantha Hewett. “There are many exciting things coming to campus for this event. For instance, Brother’s Honey will bring a live beehive, and the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission will bring their traveling fish tank and a live alligator. UCA mascots Bruce and Sugar Bear are expected to join in on the fun as well.”
Students from fourth through seventh grade will enjoy a free planetarium show, experience the college classroom during an Arkansas Game & Fish Commission presentation and explore a wide variety of STEM concepts.
“Dissections, robotics, geography, chemistry, microbiology, math and more await students that are hungry for the experience but rarely have the opportunity or the equipment to participate in these types of experiences,” said Hewett. “It will be a fun day of adventure and learning!”
The event is sponsored in part by the UCA Foundation, the Arkansas Community Foundation, the UCA Bookstore and the UCA College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.
For more information about the event, contact Hewett at (501) 450-3251 or email shewett@uca.edu.