MEMS youths showcase STEM skills Published April 25, 2014 By Donovan Jackson 42nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- As part of a Department of Defense initiative to inspire and develop science, technology, engineering and mathematics talent within students, Maxwell Elementary/Middle School held its second annual STEMposium, April 14-18. MEMS uses the week to increase awareness of STEM objectives and to expose students to STEM careers. Throughout the week, students in all grades showcased assignments that they had been working on that were in accordance with STEM-based initiatives. Projects and assignments on display during the week included fifth graders' computer-programmed Lego robots capable of movement because of students' programming skills, second graders' science board presentations that displayed the various steps, functions and effects of pollination, and middle school students' hydrogen fuel cell cars showcasing alternative and efficient ways to power vehicles. "The STEMposium was a great success," said MEMS principal Dr. Ronald Knight. "It was a success because it allowed the students to recognize that science, technology, engineering and math permeate their daily world. From pre-kindergarten to middle school, the projects exhibited at the STEMposium were authentic pieces of work that verified a deep understanding of the subjects studied." According to Rebecca Hill, lead organizer for the STEMposium, the event provides the perfect opportunity for students to express themselves educationally and display to their parents and school faculty the level of impact that STEM-based learning has on their education. "The STEMposium allowed all students, pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, to communicate in a real-world way about what they're learning," said Hill. "The STEM-based learning model is so successful; it's amazing to see how even the kindergarten students understand complex concepts like the engineering design process."