LYNN — The Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fair next month is designed to help everyone get a better understanding of the role science plays in our lives.
The fair, which will be held at St. Mary’s High, Lynn Vocational Technical Institute, KIPP Academy and the YMCA, is a collaborative effort among the child-centered institutions and other nonprofits that comprise the Lynn Education District.
“I think it’s pretty clear that there is a philosophical tie among all these groups,” said Dr. Patrick Tutwiler, superintendent of Lynn Public Schools. “And that is to use our resources and our expertise to make sure the youth of Lynn are served well, with whatever ways we can use to do that.”
The fair is part of Massachusetts STEM Week. It will be held Thursday, Oct. 24 from 4 to 7 p.m.
Its theme is “Imagining Yourself at STEM,” according to Kathleen Walsh, president and CEO of the Metro North YMCA, and chairwoman of the Lynn Education District.
“We want to accentuate the things we do every day, and how does science apply, but we want to present it in a non-scary way,” she said.
As important as the STEM topic is, she said, equally vital is the fact that the education district, launched last year, has devised an idea that defines its mission to “use our collective strength and capabilities to build strong kids and neighborhoods.”
“When we sit around the table, we are all partners in making the city of Lynn better,” Walsh said. “No one has his or her own agenda, and I’m really proud of that.”
Dr. John Dolan, head of school at St. Mary’s, said that the unique partnership of public, private and charter schools, along with the nonprofits geared toward childhood development, has intrigued education officials on the state level, including Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito.
“She is really looking at this project because it’s so unusual,” Dolan said. “It’s something you don’t see everywhere else.”
He said the goal is to deliver resources to Lynn.
“And we’re joining forces to create a collaboration, supported by both public and private,” he said. “The question we ask is ‘what does it mean for Lynn?'”
Joel Abramson, an Education District committee member who runs Flagship Travel in Marblehead, said he began talking with Polito, who is the chairman, along with U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy (D-Mass), of the Massachusetts STEM Council, late last year about the district’s interest in the curriculum.
Through a series of meetings with Polito and her staff that went into the summer, the idea of a STEM fair was born.
Along with the schools and the YMCA, other committee members working on the project are Salem State University, North Shore Community College, the Lynn Economic Opportunity (LEO), Girls Inc. of Lynn, Boys & Girls Club, Greater Lynn Chamber of Commerce, Raw Art Works, Change is Simple and the Essex Media Group.
The fair will emphasize the availability of STEM education through the city’s schools and institutions, and the wide variety of career paths.
Employment in STEM-related occupations is projected to grow to more than 9 million jobs nationwide by 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Massachusetts has the most technology jobs per capita in the country, according to STEM.
- KIPP will partner with the Boys and Girls Club of Lynn and Change is Simple, Inc. to offer Clean Tech activities, including an Energy Creation Station, building wind turbines, and teaching about energy efficiency.
- Lynn Tech will combine with North Shore Community College to offer drone activities, a Computer-aided design (CAD) workshop and 3D printing activity, and a biology/chemistry experience to solve a mystery.
- The YMCA will offer a photobooth costume experience and a boat building activity with the chance to float the boats in the “Y” pool. Also the “Y,” Girls Inc. will offer a hands-on engineering and physics and marine science activity with Northeastern University Marine Science Center. And LEO will offer younger children Fizzy Rainbow science project experiments.
- St. Mary’s will host construction trades. Activities will include how to manage a construction robot, horticulture and soils management, and building a foundation.
“This is exactly what we should be doing in Lynn,” Tutwiler said. “We should be putting our heads together to serve the youth well. STEM has grown by leaps and bounds, and for many professions it is the key to the future.”
