A-Day visit gives K-12 students fun hands-on STEM experience

During A-Day weekend, the College of Education welcomed more than 30 students and parents for an exciting hands-on STEM experience designed to inspire the next generation of learners and leaders.

The group, which included members of Baptist Hill Missionary and the Hall & Monroe STEM W3RTECH Initiative from Brewton, Ala., spent the day attending the A-Day game, touring campus and engaging in several immersive STEM activities at the Laboratory for Innovative Technology in Education (LITE).

The visit was a collaboration between the College of Education’s Office of School Partnerships and Community Engagement, LITE and the Hall & Monroe STEM W3RTECH Initiative and co-planned by Director of School and Community Partnerships and Innovation Dr. Demitrius Barksdale and community partner Rick Davis.

LITE Director Dr. James Hardin and Barksdale led the group in three STEM sessions, including a 3D design lab, a virtual reality experience, and a coding and robotics activity. Students were able to apply critical thinking skills, explore virtual environments and get hands-on experience programming robots. One student even won a special 3D-printed item after his name was drawn during a raffle.

The day gave the K-12 students the opportunity to learn more about STEM-related career options. Marcus and Valerie Hall, the Hall & Monroe STEM W3RTECH Initiative’s leaders, are dedicated to increasing underrepresented students’ interest in STEM and allowing them to explore collegiate possibilities by organizing campus visits like this each year.

The College, the Office of School Partnerships and Community Engagement and LITE were honored to host the Hall & Monroe STEM W3RTECH Initiative and look forward to future engagements and partnerships. A special thank you goes to Elisa Cerrina, Anna Bigham, Dr. Joy Burnham and Dean Joyce Alexander for their support.