Arcola Intermediate Holds Third-Annual STEAM Day

Arcola Intermediate School held its third-annual STEAM Career Day, March 26. STEAM, which stands for:

Science
Technology
Engineering
Arts
Math

is a day-long event filled with professionals and presenters representing those fields, and talking with the students about potential careers.

“It’s an opportunity to expose our students to a number of careers in the STEAM fields,” Ryan Creeden, Arcola Intermediate School assistant principal, said in a phone interview with Lower Providence Patch. “And, it’s an opportunity to work with the community.”

While traditionally, the acronym used by a wide range of educators dealt mainly with STEM studies, Creeden said that Arcola added the arts as a way to further expand the opportunities available to them.

Creeden said focusing on career awareness is becoming a priority throughout Methacton School District, as well as the state. According to Creeden, the school district is currently working on career exploration as part of school curriculum, beginning in the seventh grade.

“STEAM Career Day is a big part of that plan,” Creeden said.

Creeden said Arcola’s seventh and eighth grade students were given a mid-year survey, asking them what STEAM studies they may be most interested in. By the intermediate school’s career day, the students were placed in a mixed-grade group of 20, where they were introduced to six STEAM Day presenters that best matched their interests.

According to Creeden, community participation has steadily increased over the years, with 15 more presenters attending this year’s Arcola STEAM day, making a total of 45 presenters.

The presenters represented such notable, local organizations or businesses and spoke on such topics as:

• Audubon YMCA – “Wellness”

• Wildlife Leadership Academy – “How to tell the age white tail deer”

• Ursinus Science in Motion – “Forensics” and “portable planetarium”

• Johnson and Johnson – “How STEAM applies to everyday work”

• Dow Chemical Company – “Chemistry-related lessons”

• SEPTA – “Hybrid busses”

• Limerick Power Plant – “How STEM is used in running a nuclear power plant”

• Ambler Music Academy – “Music”

• TD Bank – “Checkbook lessons”

The STEAM day itself began at 8:35 a.m. with keynote speaker Jay Holser, graphic artist and associate professor of Biology at Juniata College, who has created award-winning cartoons about biology and natural history.

The day concluded by the mid-afternoon with various energy demonstrations by the Franklin Institute’s Travelling Science Show.

Creeden said that the volunteer STEAM presenters often give positive feedback about the professionalism of the event, and many have returned to present each year. He adds that the students also have expressed appreciation of the day.

“What we’ve heard is that the students really enjoy it,” Creeden said.

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Community members that are interested in presenting at next year’s Arcola Intermediate School’s STEAM Career Day may contact:

Patty McGinnis - pmcginnis@methacton.org

Mark Mueller – mmueller@methacton.org

Ryan Creeden – rcreeden@methacton.org