United Way of Metropolitan Dallas and DeSoto ISD to take students to Perot Museum
United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, along with presenting sponsors Texas Instruments and Mr. Cooper Group and supporting sponsor Vistra, will host STEM Fest on Tuesday, Oct. 24, at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science. With the help of more than 150 volunteers, 400 fifth through eighth grade DeSoto Independent School District students will engage in interactive science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) activities to challenge their minds and inspire their imaginations.
“STEM Fest is an immersive and fun way to spark student interest in STEM education that will be critical to our future workforce,” said Jennifer Sampson, McDermott-Templeton president and CEO of United Way of Metropolitan Dallas. “Education is one of the core building blocks of opportunity, and we’re grateful for the generous sponsors who join us to inspire a love of science, technology, engineering and math.”
Activities during STEM Fest include:
· Robot Coding, to explore STEM concepts by making things move, using TI graphing calculators to program and autonomously drive the TI-Innovator ™ Rover robotic vehicle
· Musical Coding, to create music through programming the TI-Innovator™ Hub, allowing them to experience the science behind sound and hearing and to play a series of playful tunes.
· AI-Vengers, Students will design their own AI-powered solution to a social safety issue like cyberbullying, online predators or hate speech.
· AI Facial Recognition, to learn some basic machine learning concepts, with demonstrations using Facial Recognition software.
United Way of Metropolitan Dallas encourages and promotes college and career readiness in many ways, from tutoring and mentoring students to supporting schools as they work to improve curriculum.
“We know through research North Texas students will benefit greatly through access to enriched learning opportunities focused on STEM,” Sampson said. “Through STEM Fest, our supporters stand with us in inspiring and preparing these students to compete alongside their peers in an economy with an increasing need for these important skills.”
About United Way of Metropolitan Dallas: United Way of Metropolitan Dallas is a social change organization that unites the community to create opportunity and access for all North Texans to thrive. We are committed to being a fully inclusive, multicultural, antiracist movement so that we can drive transformative change and advance racial equity in the areas of education, income and health—the building blocks of opportunity. We encourage every North Texan to join this movement and Live United. To give, advocate or volunteer, visit https://unitedwaydallas.org
About the Perot Museum of Nature and Science: Located in the heart of Dallas, Texas, the Perot Museum of Nature and Science is a nonprofit educational and research organization dedicated to inspiring minds through nature and science. Visitors will find everything from dinosaurs to diamonds and space to sports, packed into five levels of hands-on discovery and adventure. Through its state-of-the-art exhibits, educational programming and community outreach, the Museum offers exciting and innovative experiences for learners of all ages. For more information, visit perotmuseum.org
For everything DeSoto ISD related, please visit: www.desotoisd.org