EDC and CSC Co-Host Free NSF STEM Day Event for Families

Education Development Center (EDC) and the Connecticut Science Center (CSC) will co-host a fun-filled National Science Foundation (NSF) Family STEM Day on Saturday, May 10 (10 a.m. – 4 p.m.) at the CSC in downtown Hartford. Funded by the NSF, this free event is part of many public NSF STEM Day events being held nationwide as part of a celebration of NSF’s 75 years of discovery and innovation. EDC’s and CSC’s NSF Family STEM Day activities focus on STEM careers and hands-on STEM learning.

NSF turns bold ideas into reality, accelerating progress and propelling a strong economy. From cell phones and semiconductors to 3D printing technology and medical breakthroughs, NSF fuels STEM innovation and industry in our country.

Equally vital, NSF invests in our nation’s future innovators and inventors. Across the United States, NSF-funded STEM education initiatives help families, teachers, and informal STEM educators build STEM knowledge, spark interest in STEM careers, and ensure youth are future-ready.

“We are so grateful for NSF’s support of the NSF Family STEM Day and are excited to spotlight our NSF-powered achievements,” says EDC’s Dr. Jessica Mercer Young, a learning scientist and early childhood expert who co-leads Supporting Science Inquiry, Interest, and STEM Thinking and Young Mathematicians, two NSF-funded programs that will be highlighted at the event. “It is the perfect way to celebrate NSF’s anniversary and groundbreaking work and build on EDC’s long collaboration with CSC.”

Megan Ramer, CSC’s director of programs, recently wrote about the CSC-EDC collaboration for the Connecticut Mirror. She adds, “We want all families who visit CSC for our NSF Family STEM Day to come learn, play, and enjoy all that we have to offer without worrying about cost. We strive to bring out the curiosity in all visitors by engaging everyone in fun, hands-on, play-based experiences. We hope that this is just one of many wonderful trips for families in our community to come and explore science together.”

During the NSF Family STEM Day, children and families can do the following:

• Explore live hands-on science by building balance sculptures, creating circuit pathways, coding robots, investigating properties of meteorites, and more
• Join Mission: STEM Possible Meet Local STEM Heroes, a story and show-and-tell with local STEM professionals and EDC and CSC staff
• Try on the gear associated with STEM careers at a STEM Career Photo Booth
• Speak with local STEM professionals as they lead hands-on activities
• Visit The Science Behind Pixar, a traveling exhibit from Boston’s Museum of Science that brings children and adults behind the scenes to learn how movies are made
• Journey through space in Exploring Space, a brand-new gallery exhibit
• Explore 15 permanent galleries that help children and families see how science connects to the world around them
• Receive free access to the all-season butterfly habitat and greenhouse, where visitors are immersed in a tropical environment with 40 to 50 different species of butterflies

“Children are natural scientists, and families play a huge role in fueling children’s curiosity about the world around them,” said EDC’s Cindy Hoisington, a national expert in early STEM education and co-lead of the Supporting Science Inquiry, Interest, and STEM Thinking program. “This event will provide families with fun and interesting experiences that can prompt further discussions of science topics and STEM careers at home.”

The Supporting Science Inquiry, Interest, and STEM Thinking program has that exact focus. Caregivers, families, and parents of preschoolers who participated in the program reported feeling more confident in helping their young children explore early science. Educators who participated in the program gained confidence and provided higher-quality early science instruction compared to educators who did not participate. Made possible by NSF’s support, this kind of partnership is helping create strong early learning experiences across home, school, and the community and giving young children a powerful boost in their education journey.

Learn more about EDC’s Early Childhood Development & Learning and STEM Education and Workforce Development work.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Award No.1949266. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.