STEMFest returns to SCC in West Burlington

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WEST BURLINGTON – The fifth annual Southeast Iowa Regional Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Festival (STEMFest) will take place at SCC's West Burlington campus on Saturday, February 10 from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.The event is a joint effort between SCC, the Southeast Iowa STEM Hub, local businesses, manufacturers, and educators.

STEMFest exposes kids and adults to careers and opportunities in STEM-related fields through hands-on activities, exhibits, and demonstrations. Participants explore STEM careers through robotics and healthcare simulations as well as electronics and renewable energy exhibits.

With the growing demand for jobs requiring digital and technical skills, a background in STEM is essential for many careers. SCC Work-Based Learning Specialist Leanne Krogmeier, says STEMFest is also a great way for students to explore careers in Southeast Iowa’s industries.

“STEM jobs continue to dominate the list of hot careers,” says Krogmeier. “That’s why it’s so important we get kids interested while they’re young. STEMFest is a fun and creative way to expose kids to concepts and career paths they may never see or consider.”

Krogmeier says that organizers decided to mix it up this year to keep the event fresh and fun.

“We used to have the event in April, and it competed with a lot of other activities,” explains Krogmeier. “Moving it to February not only avoids conflicts, but it gives people something fun to do in the winter.”

In addition to the new date, this year’s event will feature animals from Niabi Zoo, kid-friendly demonstrations by Absolute Science, and the Grout Museum will transform SCC’s Little Theater into a mini-planetarium. People can also tour the patient simulation center and EMT ambulance lab in SCC’s new Health Professions Center.

The popular event attracts hundreds of people every year.

“Our goal is to continue to show students and parents how fun STEM can be,” says Krogmeier. “We’ve got another great lineup of exhibitors from across the region and plenty of cool activities. Kids can even sign up to win a drone or free Kidtek learning camp. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

STEMFest is free and open to the public.

To learn more about the Southeast Iowa Regional STEMFest, visit:http://se.iowastem.org.

For questions about STEMFest at SCC, contact Leanne Krogmeier at (319) 208-5053, or lkrogmeier@scciowa.edu.

For more news or to learn about Southeastern Community College, visit: http://www.scciowa.edu/rss/news/index.html.

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