District 102 STEM Expo Showcases Talents of Science Enthusiasts

Saturday, March 3 was an exciting day for Science/STEM enthusiasts in District 102. Over 220 students in kindergarten through sixth grade presented their science, technology, engineering or maker-style projects to their families, friends, teachers and the public at District 102’s STEM Expo held at Forest Road School in LaGrange Park.

While exhibits were not judged, exhibitors were assigned a half-hour time period when they were required to be at their table to answer questions and explain their project to an Expo official, whose role was to give students an opportunity to show what they had learned. Expo officials included members of the Board of Education, District 102 administrators and teachers.

“This year we changed from a Science Expo to a STEM Expo,” said Virginia Hohl, lead teacher at the Science Center. “This encouraged and allowed those students who were interested in a technology project, created an invention or was a maker to participate. This year we had about a 30 percent increase in participation. I also noticed we had a lot more projects from older students this year.”

About 20 students also participated in a pre-Expo STEM afterschool program called Lego WeDo Carnival Designers. Teams used the Lego WeDo robotic kits to create, improve and code a carnival attraction, such as a ferris wheel or merry-go-round. These fifth and sixth grade students used the basic directions from Lego and then improved it. They changed the look of the carnival ride, and/or changed the code to make it run the way they wanted it to. The student designers showed off their carnival rides at Saturday’s STEM Expo.

Families were also invited to visit the Science Center for the annual Exploratorium. STEM clubs from Lyons Township High School taught the young students about aviation, zoology, robotics, automotive technology and cyber security.

Photo Caption 1: Superintendent Kyle Schumacher, Ed.D. presenting certificates to Rex Renderman, Emmet Loughney and Andrew Loughney of Cossitt School in LaGrange.

Photo Caption 2: Forest Road School students Sanya Viswakarma and Lavanya Viswakarma showing their project at the STEM Expo.

Photo Caption 3: Barnsdale Road School kindergartner Sadie Corrigan explaining her project to Molly Knott, teacher at Congress Park School, with her brother Liam Corrigan of Ogden Avenue School looking on.

Photo Caption 4: Ogden Avenue School kindergartner Benjamin Hernandez with Joe McCauley, principal of Ogden Avenue School.

Photo Caption 5: Vivian Gryfakis of Barnsdale Road School proudly displays her certificate at the STEM Expo.

Photo Caption 6: A packed house at the District 102 STEM Expo on March 3 in the Forest Road School gymnasium in LaGrange Park.