When it comes to teaching the fundamentals of math and science, there is no better way than by example.
This semester marked the second annual Discover STEM at BYU Fair. The event, hosted by the Mathematics Education Association (MEA), gives local middle school students a chance to explore their interests in science and math through interactive booths.
This year, hundreds of students between the sixth and eighth grades from the Alpine, Provo, Wasatch, Jordan, and Nebo school districts attended the fair. The event was a hit among teachers and parents, as well as students.
12-year-old Ryan Petersen, who attended the fair with his family, said he especially enjoyed the popular Google virtual reality booth.
“It’s like you’re in a whole new world,” Petersen said. “It’s a lot more fun learning science here.”
Other popular booths at the fair included experiments in static electricity, Lego race cars, liquid nitrogen, and drone flying.
Mike Rice, who brought two of his kids and two of his nephews to the fair, said everyone enjoyed the event.
“They all really like science, that’s really why we . . . brought them here,” Rice said. “They’ve had their curiosity piqued with all of these booths.”
The Discover STEM at BYU Fair is a fairly new tradition at BYU, and the diligent MEA students are the first to admit that organizing the event requires a lot of hard work. But finding creative ways to make math and science “click” for these young students makes it all worth it.
Next year’s fair will be held on Saturday, February 25, 2017 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. in the BYU Wilkinson Center Garden Court. Visit Discover STEM at BYU for more information.