Manchester Township Middle School (MTMS) held its first Family STEM Night, hosted by the bright minds of the MTMS Engineering Team and sponsored by the Manchester Township Education Association. The school’s gymnasium was filled with code, wires, and mechanisms galore as students of all ages, and their families, took part in a wondrous display of new-age technology!
At different stations around the event, visitors could sit and partake in hands-on activities to learn about computer science and engineering. There were personalized wristbands with binary code, snap circuits where disks and paperclips flew, and even programmable display systems that lit up with different patterns and colors. Adults and children alike took turns controlling actual robots that could be set to follow different paths to their goal.
MTMS Engineering Team members were present at each station, answering questions and helping onlookers to develop logic and reasoning skills. Several engineers from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst lent their expertise to connect the students’ learnings with real-life applications. The STARBASE program even returned to Family STEM Night this year, as their representative aided students participating in “hands-on, minds-on” activities.
Family STEM Nights are an excellent opportunity for the MTMS Engineering Team to showcase their skills, but just as importantly, form bonds with the community and inspire students of all ages to engage with STEM. It is a joy to see the next generation of programmers, engineers, and scientists work hard to build their skillsets and bring science to life!