October 17, 2019
By: Dwayne Page
Kids love superheroes. You know what else kids love? Superhero activities!
On Monday night students and their families participated in a Superheroes STEAM night at DeKalb County High School making everything from superhero capes and masks to superhero slime.
For three years the DeKalb County School District has hosted a family STEM Night, now known as STEAM for students in grades Pre K-8th as well as home schooled students. Teachers from across the district develop and set up exhibits and interactive activities for students to create, investigate, and explore. By hosting STEAM outreach events that engage the whole family, the school district is providing relevant, real-world learning opportunities for students that can increase the skilled workforce in our community.
STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math
“This is our 3rd annual family event and we are doing STEAM activities. This time it’s a superheroes theme so everything we’re doing has to do with superheroes. Some of the things we have going on are a costume factory where students are making capes and masks and decorating those. We also have some Spiderman virtual reality and a place where they can create utility belts with cardboard. We have augmented reality coloring sheets where they can make a superhero and they are making superhero slime. This year we have incorporated the arts in with the program,” said Amy Fricks, DCHS math teacher.
“We’ve had a lot of help from teachers and volunteers of every school and we really appreciate their help in putting all this together. We’re just excited to have all the families here with us to have a night of fun together. We also included the Career Technical Education (CTE) department from the high school including the agriculture department and FFA and shop teachers for automotive, manufacturing, and building trades to give kids some exposure to that and get them thinking about what they want to do for their focus areas once they get to the high school,” said Fricks.
A special thanks goes to DTC Communications for its support.
“Last year’s STEM Night event had over 350 participants and 25 activity booths. Dr. Kathy Bryant, Supervisor of Instruction said, “With the number of families in attendance, we had a need for additional sponsorship to cover the costs of booth materials, food, and awards. We are so grateful that DTC and CEO Chris Townson agreed to meet that need for our community.” Mr. Townson understands the importance of giving back to the people that DTC serves by supporting and being involved with the local schools.
DTC Communications assisted with the STEAM Night event by not only providing funding but also by bringing their interactive Mobile Innovation Lab for students to explore for the evening.