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Oct 10th, 2022
STEAM Fest 2022
By:
by Aine Sponholz
Fluxspace
🎓 Grade Level —
4-9
⌛ Time to Read —
9 min
📥 Includes —
Overview, Photos
Materials
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STEAM Fest 2022

AI Summary:

On May 21st, Fluxspace in Norristown, Pennsylvania, hosted a free STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) festival aimed at engaging community members, particularly youth, in hands-on learning experiences beyond traditional classroom settings. The event featured diverse exhibits and demonstrations, including robotics, virtual reality, and innovative sound technology, highlighting the interdisciplinary nature of STEAM fields and their real-world applications. Participants were encouraged to explore various tools and technologies—such as 3D printers, codable electronics, and virtual environments—showcasing how STEAM fosters creativity and inclusivity. Fluxspace utilized this opportunity to demonstrate both its current initiatives and the potential for further community engagement within its facility.

Future innovators and their families recently got a chance to put their minds to the test during a day filled with different activities, exhibits, and demonstrations. On Saturday, May 21st, Fluxspace had the science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) festival at their location in Norristown, Pennsylvania.

“STEAM festival is a free community event where folks can come out and learn what we do at Fluxspace,” VJ Taverna, an intern at Fluxspace, said.  Anyone interested was welcome to come to the event in hopes that the Flux team and their associates would be able to show how STEAM is more than learning in a classroom, it is the things happening all around. Hopefully, children in attendance could get excited to learn about all the activities that they can unlock with STEAM.

These different groups and people all brought a unique experience to the STEAM festival; it allowed kids to see how different aspects of life all fall under the STEAM category.  People like Jeremy DePrisco who show kids that STEAM encompasses music and innovative ways to make sounds are a prime example of how different students with different talents can still be involved; the future is inclusive and has a spot for all people.  Other groups came with their robotics prepared to show kids how the things that amaze them are actually being used in real life: a robot dog for security from Asylon, drones that can show different areas from Team Flight Control, and new ways to 3D print with flexible materials from Dive Design Company.

Different aspects of the technology and their purposes leave people feeling like “anyone interested in STEAM can jump right into it without being intimidated” VJ said.  Together, everyone there showed a unique way that people are using technology and brain power to change the world.

The Fluxspace building itself is full of potential, and the festival allowed the Fluxspace team to show off what is already happening in the area.  “We want to show the community what we already do and what we could do with this space,” Simona said.

Fluxspace workers have become accustomed to the Igloo virtual reality room, endless tinker toys of the creator space, 3D printers, laser cutters, and different codable robotics that they use daily, but for the families coming for the first time, all the tools showed how exciting and unique they really are. Crowd favorites are consistently the Igloo Vision virtual reality environment that allows them to feel a part of the videos and scenes shown, and everyone always loves the Artillery and Craft Bot 3D printers on which the interns have mastered printing little frogs for the kids. After exploring the building, people also start to realize how fun Strawbees (building straws), Sam Labs (a codable electronics tool), and Makey Makey (a circuitry and electronics tool), are and the different ways they can be used. The entire building was filled with kids using different electronics and building tools; STEAM came to life during the Fluxspace festival.

Interested in Learning More About STEM? Check this out!

https://porch.com/advice/steam-program-advice-experts

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