Liberty Elementary held its third annual STEM Night on Sept. 18.  
Ashley Striplin, LES Science Club supervisor, said that over 1,000 members of the community attended the event, which focused on science, technology, engineering and math. Students participated in hands-on activities, viewed demonstrations, used technology and interacted with live animals throughout the night.
“Each year for the past three years, our STEM Night has grown,” Striplin said. “This year, we had even more vendors participate, which in turn means even more opportunities for our parents and students. Our staff and our vendors make this evening of learning one of the most popular events of the year.”  
Vendors this year included Savannah State University, Midway Fire Department, American Chemical Society, Liberty County Police Department, 703rd BSB, Georgia Southern University, Fish World and Pet Shop, Department of Natural Resources, Armstrong State University and the Society of Women Engineers.
LES first-grader Garrett Malek loved the night of exploration and discovery.  
“I liked the animals the best. The bearded dragon, snake and bird were cool,” he said.
While Malek learned about wildlife, middle-school brother Joshua got “lost in space” in Liberty Elementary’s own planetarium. Black tents served as the makeshift stargazing platform, and iPads were used inside the tents to do research on stars and planets.
Even Liberty’s administrators got in on the act.  Principal Chris Anderson was caught kissing an alligator.
“I had heard about science night, but nothing I had heard prepared me for the excitement I saw on the children's faces,” first-time participant Assistant Principal Beverly Faircloth said. “They were absolutely enthralled as they moved from one exhibit to another. I also enjoyed watching the outside vendors as they shared their passion for different areas of science with the children in a kid-friendly manner.”