STEMwave - Where Innovation Meets Education
STEMWave Day Ponus Ridge Middle School
Norwalk, Connecticut, buzzed with innovation as Ponus Ridge STEAM Academy hosted the first STEMwave Day. Bringing together 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade students, teachers, local industry professionals, EdTech enthusiasts, State Dept of Ed, and Government Officials, the gym transformed into a dynamic exhibition space, showcasing the diverse STEAM projects thriving within Norwalk Schools.
The day kicked off with students exploring exhibitors' booths, absorbing insights from their classmates through Norwalk Schools, the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, Milestone C, Stemi, Vidi X, FoodCorps, Microboard Processing, Verizon’s Innovative Learning Lab, and others. The atmosphere was lively, filled with the hum of conversations and the excitement of discovery. The event highlighted the collaborative efforts with local businesses and offered hands-on engagement. Students had opportunities to showcase their STEAM projects, operate robots, debug code, fly flight simulators, battle in digital tic-tac-toe, and even hold aquatic creatures! They enjoyed an augmented reality scavenger hunt, adding a dash of fun to their learning journey, where they could win prizes!
An insightful panel discussion followed, hosted by David Conelius, CEO of Milestone C, and an 8th-grade student from Ponus Ridge. Guest speakers shared their perspectives on the future of STEAM education, including Dr. Alexandra Estrella, superintendent of Norwalk Public Schools, Dr. Damon Lewis, principal of Ponus Ridge STEAM Academy, Eileen Candles, Director of Partnerships from Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT), Dr. Fred Pierre Louis, a Ponus Ridge educator, and Nicki Rosenfeld - Associate Director of Education, Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk. Harry Rilling, Mayor of Norwalk, actively supported the event by flying on the simulators with students and opening the panel. STEMwave Day displayed the vibrant partnership between education and industry, fostering enthusiasm at the intersection of school technology for the continued evolution of STEAM education in Norwalk and beyond!
Petit Family Foundation Grant
Dr. William Petit, Jr, President Petit Family Foundation, presented David Conelias, manager and board member of Experiential STEM, with a $10,000 Grant Award. The Petit Family Foundation honors the memories of Jennifer Hawke-Petit, Hayley Elizabeth Petit, and Michaela Rose Peti by continuing the kindness, idealism, and activism that defined their lives. One of the missions is to educate young people (especially in the sciences).
Experiential STEM is focused on bringing real-world tech-forward education to young learners so they can explore career paths in their communities. The partnership between Experiential STEM and Milestone C allows students to participate in Milestone C’s Junior Flight School exposure program, which inspires young learners to pursue exciting careers in the aviation industry! Students will fly simulators and drones in an exciting aviation exploration laboratory throughout the program. By bringing highly engaging programs to students, they will be excited about exploring these topics as they grow and learn.
