Sandy Springs Students Take Part in STEM Showcase

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The 2015 STEM Event: Experience the Future of Communications Technology, sponsored by the Sandy Springs Education Force (SSEF) and program partner Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), was held March 5 at North Springs Charter High School.

This is the fifth year SSEF and North Springs have teamed up to showcase innovative science, technology, engineering and math exhibits to Sandy Springs public school students and community members, and the third year GTRI has been the STEM event’s signature partner.

Despite a change of date due to inclement weather and school closings, enthusiasm for this year’s event was as strong as ever. During the school day nearly 700 students in North Springs’ math and science magnet program, and health science, business /computer science and digital and graphic design pathways visited the exhibits.

Many used their cell phones and hand-held devices to download QR codes to learn more about the exhibits they were seeing and to send tweets and “selfies,” actively engaging in communications technology just as organizers had planned.

In the late afternoon students from six Sandy Springs public schools including North Springs, Ridgeview Charter and Sandy Springs middle schools, and Ison Springs, Lake Forest and Woodland elementary schools, set up exhibits showcasing their programs and projects funded by SSEF as 2014 STEM Legacy Grant Recipients.

At 6 p.m. guests were invited to the school’s theater for a special program featuring WSB-TV News Anchor Carol Sbarge, Fulton County Schools’ Superintendent Dr. Robert Avossa, Deputy Superintendent of Academics Dr. Scott Muri and Ridgeview Middle School student Samantha Olivares.

Dr. Muri provided keynote remarks, sharing the school system’s excitement and commitment to personalized learning for all students, an initiative closely tied to communications technology.

In closing SSEF Executive Director Irene Schweiger recognized program partner GTRI with a special award noting “the foundation of the event would not have been possible without GTRI’s resources and vast research and expertise in the field of communication technology.”

Photo 1: Spartan juniors Melina Mah, Tamiah Roberts and Aliyah Fey take a selfie to share at #SSEFies - a hashtag created by SSEF especially for the STEM event.

Photo 2: Freshmen Jahuon Millard and Ajani Kilburn with teacher Josh Weaver scan a QR code to answer questions in the student guidebook created by NSCHS teachers, SSEF and GTRI.

Photo 3: Woodland Elementary Lego WeDo Club exhibitors include Woodland STEM Coordinator Angela Ergle with proud 2nd graders Logan Fletcher and Amanni Bobo and 1st graders Nazeefa Loladia, Srihassya Guntuka, and Julian Hernandez.

Credits: North Springs Charter High School