The University of Iowa Health Care hosted a “Kids Go STEM” event, designed to showcase STEM topics and careers to school-age children, at the UI Carver College of Medicine. The event was open to students from kindergarten through 12th grade in surrounding areas who were interested in participating and learning more about what STEM has to offer.
During the free event on Dec.6, over 100 participants visited different hands-on stations showcasing various medical simulations while being guided by volunteers from multiple different medical departments at the UI. Stations included a physics and astronomy lab where some participants were able to hold a real human brain.
The event was designed to engage kids with different parts of the STEM field. Susie Green, a facilitator and planner of the event, said she wanted to help students of all ages to be more educated and informed at a younger age.
“It’s to spark interest and enthusiasm in STEM, whether that’s a STEM career for the future, or just knowledge and being a STEM consumer,” Green said.
According to event coordinators, the event was intended to involve kids and expose them to areas of STEM that they may not see in their schools or in their daily lives.
Hannah Williamsen, UI graduate student research assistant, talked about the importance of STEM exposure in children in exciting ways to get them involved and interested in STEM-related fields.
“It’s not really common to know about research when you’re in elementary school or middle school. So, especially our lab, we want to expose younger kids to that, and to know you can grow up and be a scientist,” Williamsen said.
Parents also had a separate agenda with events about STEM in middle and high school, along with handling the transitions. Parents who brought their kids to the event were also interested in getting them involved in STEM, such as parent Angela Morrow, who brought her daughter to the event.
“I think it’s important overall for kids to check out different careers and different opportunities that they can pursue as they get older. Fostering that kind of education early on is really what can enlighten a kid to do something later. And, in general, STEM is important because it’s really part of every career out there,” Morrow said.
MaryTherese Gehrmann, a UI medical student, was inspired to volunteer because of an event she attended as a middle schooler that fostered her interest in STEM as a child.
“Curiosity is wonderful, and we want to inspire every kid today that they have the independence to do whatever they want and grow up to be what they want,” Gehrman said. “They just need to dream it and make it, and we’re going to be here to help them.”