Preschoolers get jump on learning about science, technology, engineering, math
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Julie Hughes of Bridgeville watches as son Roman builds a contraption using tasty foodstuffs.
Harry Funk/The Almanac
Dara Ogunjobi of South Fayette Township sees how many cups she can place on a tower before it falls.
Harry Funk/The Almanac
Staci Taylor watches as daughter Mia starts assembling a cup tower.
Harry Funk/The Almanac
Cooper Flook has been distracted by the tastiness of one of his marshmallows.
Harry Funk/The Almanac
Teacher Savannah Cazin is ready to guide students in making cup towers.
Harry Funk/The Almanac
Devansh Bhavsar tries his luck with the cups.
Harry Funk/The Almanac
Sandra and Ghadya Marzougui of South Fayette Township work on a “Balancing Act” project.
Harry Funk/The Almanac
Ellina Morelli of South Fayette Township starts a cup tower.
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Liam Connelly snacks as he builds.
Harry Funk/The Almanac
Olivia Flook takes a bite out of her marshmallow.
Harry Funk/The Almanac
Staci Taylor and daughter Mia see how much stuff they can put in a paper boat before it doesn’t float anymore.
STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics, concepts that might seem to be a bit beyond preschoolers.
But children as young as 2 had the opportunity to learn more about what makes the world function during STEM Day at Kiddie Academy in South Fayette Township.
“We opened about half of our classrooms so that we could have age-specific activities,” director Jenn Roberts said. “The teachers took the ideas that the corporate office gave us, and we ordered the supplies and materials we needed. And then the teachers facilitated the activities in the classroom.”
Activities included building towers from cups and index cards, balancing items, seeing how much weight a paper boat can hold, and making creations using pretzel sticks and marshmallows. Of course, lots of bites were taken out of the treats along the way.
“It’s a nice social event for the parents, as well,” Roberts said. “With pickup and dropoff, they don’t get much time to visit with one another. So it’s nice for the families.”
The event also aims to provide parents with ideas on how to bring STEM education into the home, according to Richard Peterson, Kiddie Academy corporate chief academic officer.
“We want local families to see for themselves all the ways in which Kiddie Academy’s Life Essentials curriculum taps into children’s natural sense of wonder and discovery as they explore the laws that govern the world around them,” he said.
Kiddie Academy, founded 40 years ago, is headquartered in Abingdon, Md., and has franchises throughout the United States.
For more information, visit kiddieacademy.com.