![Innovation and Imagination: Full STEAM Ahead]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1549652217/rpcsorg/kstszqvwczafc35ikoih/useonfridaySTEAMWeek5.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1549652217/rpcsorg/kstszqvwczafc35ikoih/useonfridaySTEAMWeek5.jpg","width":400}])
The Lower School at Roland Park Country School nearly burst with creative energy during its first ever STEAM Week!
Every day, students in kindergarten through fifth grade were immersed in unique science, technology, engineering, art and math projects. These activities were designed to encourage curiosity, creativity and collaboration.
The festivities kicked off with a ribbon-cutting of our newly dedicated Junior Innovation Space, which was designed specifically for our youngest investigators. Throughout the week, the girls brought imaginative ideas to life through building, experimenting and programming. Students in grades 3-5 visited the KID Museum, an innovative, hands-on learning space in Bethesda, where they explored circuitry and concepts related to physics, and created string art. At the Probability Carnival, students had the opportunity to explore math concepts while creating their own carnival games, with assistance from Upper School members of the RPCS STEM Institute. Our terrific faculty led several sessions of their passion projects, including photography, the art of making crepes, “build a beak,” and chemistry art. On Friday afternoon, students from University of Maryland at Baltimore County’s (UMBC) Center for Women in Technology visited campus to run several engineering and coding challenges for the Lower School students.
Even though this special week is over, STEAM is always purposefully integrated into the school curriculum throughout the year. “The goal is to expose our students to all of these concepts over and over in a coordinated and meaningful way,” said Aisha Bryant, the technology integrationist for both the Lower School and the 6th grade.
The principles of STEAM also channel the limitless curiosity children have and embolden them to take risks. “We need to continually create classrooms that encourage inquiry and make asking questions the norm. These ‘safe spaces’ will inspire more student directed learning as the ‘need to know’ comes from the learner,” said Lisa Teeling, Head of the Lower School.
The excitement and inspiration the students felt this week will continue throughout the year and we can’t wait to see where their explorations and investigations take them. The sky is the limit!
