Let's Meetup for a STEM Education Overview

There is statewide event October 14-23 that focuses on combining Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math for classroom instruction. It is the 6th annual Tennessee STEAM Festival. It incorporates events hosted by a wide range of museums, schools, community centers and other attractions (https://www.tnsteam.org/all-events). This year, the STFK Science Café has organized a STEAM Festival event for the East Tennessee region, and YOU are invited!
In East Tennessee you don’t hear about STEAM very much. The focus is on STEM. For example, the Knox County School System has a STEM Academy located at the L&N Station (former rail passenger station) in downtown Knoxville. Also, the University of Tennessee has a program to train future school teachers about STEM education. STEM and STEAM are different but similar philosophies about the future of classroom instruction for students. If you are interested in what STEM is all about, especially if there are children in your family who will soon be in 9th or 10th grade, you should plan to attend one or both STFK Science Café meetings in October, described below.
October 11 (Tuesday) - “STEM Education Overview”. This STFK Science Café meeting is designed for adult attendees to gain an understanding of what STEM education is all about. We will meet at the Bearden Branch Library from 5:30 to 7:00 P.M. After the opening video, UT Professors in STEM, students in STEM Majors (including pre-service teachers), and current teachers will make brief presentations and answer questions as part of our normal Q&A meeting format. Complimentary refreshments will be provided. This meeting will also serve as the STEM Hub Regional Meeting (https://calendar.utk.edu/event/stem_education_overview_hub_regional_meeting). The library is located at the intersection of Papermill Drive and Kingston Pike. The street address is 100 Golfclub Rd, Knoxville, TN 37919. Please register to attend at https://tinyurl.com/STEMEDoverview. Don’t delay! The Fire Marshall's imposed maximum attendance is 47 for this venue.
October 19 (Wednesday) - "STEM Stations for K-8 Students". This STFK Science Café meeting is designed for children who may be interested in being STEM students, plus their parents and other adults who would like to observe STEM-style classroom instruction. We will meet at the Ijams Nature Center from 5:30 to 7:00 P.M. The children (and a parent, if they wish) will rotate through five indoor STEM Stations and participate in a hands-on science lesson taught by VolsTeach for Appalachia NSF Noyce Scholars along with UT instructors and students. Other adult attendees will observe from the back patio and be able to converse with STEM educators. Bring a jacket! We plan to offer complimentary hot cider and snacks outdoors. A description of this event is available on the Tennessee STEAM Festival web site, https://www.tnsteam.org/directory/2022/9/4/stem-stations-for-k-8-students. Please register to attend at https://tinyurl.com/STEMK8Stations.
If you are unable to attend in person and you would like to join the meeting(s) virtually, we do offer Zoom access. To receive a meeting invitation, send e-mail to [rsvp@knoxsciencecafe.org](mailto:rsvp@knoxsciencecafe.org) and request to attend virtually. At both meetings, you will be connected to the adult discussion. Virtual attendees will neither be able to see nor hear the children participating in the STEM Stations.
Please share this announcement about the STFK Science Café meetings with others who may be interested. The web site for the STFK Science Cafe is http://www.knoxsciencecafe.org. If your web browser requires SSL, use this address instead, https://spirit-and-truth.net/sciencecafe.
Spirit and Truth Fellowship of Knoxville and the STFK Science Café have partnered with the UT STEM HUB to bring you this event. Contact me (David Spakes) if you have any questions.