NSU University School VIEWPOINT Spring 2019

5 LOWER SCHOOL On April 4, Lower School students participated in meaningful and engaging STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) learning activities at our first STEMFEST. Taking place in the Noel P. Brown Sports Center North, STEMFEST highlighted the critical thinking our students are doing in our science and innovation labs and was designed to connect the learning between robotics, coding, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Students explored concepts related to physical science, such as force, density, and the cause and effect of electric or magnetic interactions. Through a variety of engineering challenges, students considered how design solutions impacted the effectiveness of the structures they built. Students were also engaged in tele-operating various types of robots to complete a given challenge. Cory De La Fuente, Ed.D., Lower School associate director, had been brainstorming ways to bring STEMFEST to fruition for a number of years. “The event was a huge success thanks to the help and creativity of Lower School teachers Fanya DeMaria, Michelle Garren, and Darren Stern,” De La Fuente said. “We also collaborated withMiddle and Upper School honor society students, which adds another layer of community. Students helping students made the learning experiences much more memorable.” STEM