Nearly 300 students, along with parents and interested residents, celebrated STEAM careers in Liberty County at the Georgia Southern University Liberty campus Saturday.
The event was hosted by the Hinesville Rotary Club as the first community-organized event to explore science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.
The event was developed after Rotary District Governor Hamsa Thota challenged the district’s 62 clubs to create a program that fostered the entrepreneurial spirit characterized by innovation, creativity and problem-solving. Hinesville Rotary Club President Carla Schreihofer then challenged her club’s two Interact Clubs at First Presbyterian Christian Academy and Bradwell Institute as well as the Rotaract Club to identify a community problem and design a program to address it.
“Interact students identified that elementary and middle school students in our community needed more exposure to professions and jobs in STEAM related fields. Hence a STEAM Celebration being born,” Schreihofer said.
Planning began last March and more than 30 vendors signed up to provide learning activities showing how STEAM is used in the community. Exhibits ranged from electric car demonstrations showing the strength of solar power to bug displays educating attendees on the importance of different types of bugs and how they are protected or exterminated.
“This is our first year and we are hopeful it’s the start to the community seeing the value of STEAM careers and they will continue to support the event,” Schreihofer said. “Our community showed up and we are grateful to all the vendors and attendees. Today chairperson Shannon Hickey and nearly 60 club members along with the support of community volunteers, staff and students at Georgia Southern University Liberty Campus, Liberty County Chamber of Commerce, and the First Presbyterian Christian Academy Interact Club partnered to celebrate STEAM. Our goal is to make a difference.”
For more information about Hinesville Rotary Club, visit www.hinesvillerotary.org.