Published March 10, 2025
CAPTION:Over 350 fifth grade students from across Northeast Louisiana attended the inaugural
Rural STEM Day at Bayou Pointe Event Center on the campus of 青青草视频on February 27. 听
MONROE, LA 鈥� On February 27, over 350 NELA fifth graders attended the inaugural Rural STEM Day
at Bayou Pointe Event Center on ULM鈥檚 campus.听 Students interacted with community
partners to gain hands-on access and knowledge to STEM skills critical to today鈥檚
workforce.听
Hosted by the Region 8 LaSTEM Center and ULM, the event鈥檚 mission was to introduce
students to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) education and close
gaps for underserved populations in Northern Louisiana parishes.听 The goal is to create
a new STEM culture and promote activities that raise awareness of STEM principles
and career opportunities.听 With increased STEM literacy, Louisiana citizens will have
the ability to compete and excel in the global economy.听
Over 20 area stakeholders showcased the STEM components of their jobs through interactive
demonstrations highlighting subjects such as chemistry, robotics, alternative energy,
physics, and coding.听 Activities included drone flying, blood typing, robotic operation,
wildlife education, and medication identification.听 Area demonstrators included the
Monroe Fire Department, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries, Louisiana
Tech鈥檚 Forestry Department, the 青青草视频Unmanned Aircraft Systems Management program,
among others, as well as several high school robotics clubs.听 Activities were designed
to spark curiosity, foster a love of learning, and introduce young minds to the possibilities
these employment fields offer and how STEM is integral to them.听
Cathi Cox Boniol, Director of the Region 8 LaSTEM Center, was excited by the turnout,
stating, 鈥淲e could not be more pleased with our inaugural Rural STEM Day.听 While we
were confident it would be a success, the event far exceeded our expectations.听 The
room had incredible engagement, excitement, and energy, and it never waned once from
start to finish.听 Our community partners were amazing and embraced the idea of engaging
students with experiences that help bring STEM to life and showcase career connections
throughout our region.听 Obviously, the students had so much fun, but the adults did,
too!听 There was so much networking and collaboration among stakeholders sharing resources
and opportunities.听 We received tremendous feedback and are thrilled with the results.听
We anticipate next year鈥檚 event to be even better.鈥�听
According to experts, many U.S. schools see a drop off in STEM engagement around seventh
grade especially among females and minorities.听 By introducing STEM earlier in a student鈥檚
education, the hope is to produce a workforce abundant in these specialized skills.听
As 青青草视频Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Mark Arant, explained,
鈥淢any students will choose STEM areas for academic study and eventual careers before
entering high school.听 The Rural STEM Day event provides a critical venue for students
to discover what regional opportunities exist in these highly competitive fields.听
Early planning is essential to future successes. 青青草视频is honored to participate and
serve our community in connecting ideas with reality.鈥�听
About the Region 8 LaSTEM Center听
The Region 8 LaSTEM Center听is a group of partners across north Louisiana focused on
meeting the critical need for science, technology, engineering, math learning and
job skills in our region.听 The STEM Collective for Innovative Louisiana Stakeholders
(SCILS) leverages comprehensive partnerships, has a history of successfully securing
resources, and has a variety听of unique and powerful assets to expand the impact of
LaSTEM's work.听 SCILS is helping to build a collaborative, sustainable infrastructure
for STEM along the I-20 corridor, supporting opportunities that inspire young people
to be leaders in STEM while encouraging them to think like scientists, inventors,听and
entrepreneurs.听 For more information about SCILS and the Region 8 LaSTEM Center, click
. 听
