‘Many disciplines’: Students learn about science, other fields at Penn College’s annual STEMFest
Mario Tombasco, electronics and automation instructor, shows students how to program a small computer during the Penn College “STEMFest.” Middle school students were able to go hands on with a variety of technologies like concrete science, civil engineering, robotics and others. About 150 students participated in the event from area middle schools. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
Paisleigh Beardslee of Lock Haven tries to program a small robot which is able to drive through a maze during the Penn College “STEMFest.” Middle school students were able to go hands on with a variety of technologies like concrete science, civil engineering, robotics and others. About 150 students participated in the event from area middle schools. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
Paisleigh Beardslee, 11, and Zoey Zbegner, 12, both Central Mountain Middle School in Lock Haven race a small robot through a maze during the Penn College “STEMFest.” Middle school students were able to go hands on with a variety of technologies like concrete science, civil engineering, robotics and others. About 150 students participated in the event from area middle schools. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
Mario Tombasco, electronics and automation instructor, shows students how to program a small computer during the Penn College “STEMFest.” Middle school students were able to go hands on with a variety of technologies like concrete science, civil engineering, robotics and others. About 150 students participated in the event from area middle schools. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
Paisleigh Beardslee of Lock Haven tries to program a small robot which is able to drive through a maze during the Penn College “STEMFest.” Middle school students were able to go hands on with a variety of technologies like concrete science, civil engineering, robotics and others. About 150 students participated in the event from area middle schools. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
Paisleigh Beardslee, 11, and Zoey Zbegner, 12, both Central Mountain Middle School in Lock Haven race a small robot through a maze during the Penn College “STEMFest.” Middle school students were able to go hands on with a variety of technologies like concrete science, civil engineering, robotics and others. About 150 students participated in the event from area middle schools. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette
Trending
Pennsylvania College of Technology Tuesday hosted STEMFest, a celebration of engineering and technical careers for middle school students.
Students from Lycoming, Clinton, Northumberland, and Tioga counties experienced technical workshops led by college faculty and staff.
STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and math.
There was concrete science at the Carl Building Technologies Center, and Civil Engineering, Robotics, Electronics, Engineering Design and Polymers at College Avenue labs.
"We made concrete," said Rylin Bathurst, 12, of Central Mountain Middle School in the Keystone Central School District.
It took five minutes to mold it and 15 minutes for it to dry. The steps were on the chalkboard. It required water, a water reducer in a syringe and concrete mix. He said his mix added red and blue sprinkles
"My robot is following the flashlight," said Charlee Barrett, 12, also of Central Mountain Middle School.
The bots with wheels were digitally programmed to run on the black lines, avoid obstacles, bounce in the border, or mimic Sumo wrestling.
Alicia McNett and Phillip Warner, two Penn College computer information technology faculty members, were among the instructors who monitored the students using the robots, which had six prerecorded programs.
They're learning a bit about information technology by using these robots to try and get through a maze," McNett said.
There are a variety of ways the robots could be used, and the students used their problem-solving skills.
They played with the bots and figured out how to get through the maze.
The students learned some about algorithms and technology that runs the robots.
At the electronics workshop Mario A. Tombasco teaches electronics as well as automation and robotics.
"They are building circuits and exploring micro bits," Tombasco said.
The students produced electronic name tags, made animation, and played a game of rock, paper scissors.
In the field house, students used a bunch of 3D-printed connectors and pine board struts to construct a geodesic dome.
According to Caleb Line, makerspace coordinator at Penn College, the activity provided a hands-on way to explore geometry and problem solving.
In the polymers workshop, students were introduced to polymers and experienced changes in material density by making "slime."
At a civil engineering workshop, students designed virtual bridges and built a small model bridge with one of the following combinations6 of ingredients: spaghetti and marshmallows, toothpicks and mini-marshmallows, or balsa wood and CA glue. The students were able to test the strength of their "bridges."
The EQT Foundation awarded grant funding in support of STEMFest.
In all, about 170 middle school students and teachers representing seven schools attended the event that went from 9:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
"We tried to span as many disciplines here that we cover in the college as possible," said Kathy Chesmel, assistant dean of materials science and engineering technology.