A STEAM-tastic Success: Recap of Homeschool STEAM Fest!
Summer is already buzzing by but I’m still thinking about the incredible time we had at our inaugural Homeschool STEAM Festival on April 20th and 21st, 2024! As a Tiny Fellow and founder of Homeschool STEAM, I’m still buzzing with excitement after seeing so many families come together to explore the fascinating world of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) at our recent event.
Here’s a little photo recap and don’t forget to head over to our Homeschool STEAM Fest website to get all the details, follow our journey, and join the Homeschool STEAM revolution!
Building Strong Community Partnerships
We are grateful for our continued partnership with Manatee County Natural Resources Department, and appreciate them allowing us to use their beautiful classroom at “The Nest” at Robinson Preserve to host our Homeschool STEAM Fest pilot. Such a cool space to play, learn, and explore! There’s even a giant slide that takes you under this building. So cool!
Building Partnerships That Make a Difference
We were incredibly fortunate to collaborate with amazing toy and tech brands who believe in the power of STEAM education. Sphero, Educational Insights, hand2mind, and Learning Resources generously provided a treasure trove of educational toys and STEAM learning resources that families could explore. Their support allowed kids to test their skills, discover new interests, and find the perfect STEAM toys to add to their wishlists!
Homeschool STEAM Fest: A Celebration of Exploration & Learning
Meet the Future with Robotics: Families had the opportunity to meet a local FIRST Tech Challenge team (Team Ironic from our local charter school, Manatee School for the Arts) showcasing their incredible robot and learned about the engineering process by asking questions and listening to the team talk about their competition experience. In addition, the FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship was happening live (in Texas) and was live-streamed during Homeschool STEAM Fest for all to watch.
Families got to build and drive their own ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) underwater, through our partnership with Manatee County Natural Resources Department who exhibited their underwater robot and shared information about their STEAM programs and summer camps with attending families.
Arts & Crafts Extravaganza: Kids got to express their creativity through STEAM-inspired projects, building structures, designing suncatchers, and more! Kids also used their creativity to learn about nature and science by creating their own Botanical Journals to take home. (activity provided through a collaboration with the STEAM Learning Institute)
Interactive Exhibits & Games: Kids and families got to discover the wonder of STEAM through captivating exhibits, fun games, and engineering challenges that were both entertaining and educational for the entire family.
Math Fun happened through a collaboration with fellow Tiny 4.0 Fellow, Jessica Page and Just Focus Online Learning. By engaging with Jessica, families completed exciting math challenges to practice and learn math skills, including completing a fun math scavenger hunt.
The Future of Homeschool STEAM:
A heartfelt thank you to all the families who joined us, our incredible partners, and the dedicated volunteers who made this event a reality. We can’t wait to spark more curiosity and ignite a love for STEAM learning at the next Homeschool STEAM Fest!
The overwhelming positive feedback from families has filled us with joy. Many commented on the event’s engaging activities, the opportunity to learn alongside their children, and the valuable resources they discovered. We’re already brainstorming ideas for next year’s event, aiming to offer even more interactive stations and exciting STEAM experiences.
You can visit us at homeschoolsteamfest.com to stay in the know about our upcoming events!
