Butler District 53 students and their families are invited to learn about STEM and participate in STEM activities at Brook Forest School STEM Night. It will be 5:00-7:00 p.m. March 21 at Brook Forest, 60 Regent Dr. Oak Brook. It was originally scheduled for February but canceled and rescheduled because of extreme weather conditions.
It is the first STEM night held by the school. “Since we started a class for STEM at Brook Forest, we wanted to share with families some of the activities and projects that students experience,” said STEM teacher Amanda Longtin. At STEM Night, NIU STEM Exploration Lab will offer 20 different hands-on STEM activities and dark room exhibits showcasing STEM activities that can be done in the dark.
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) education is an approach to teaching and learning that integrates the content and skills of science, technology, engineering and math. Through a STEM approach, students learn problem solving, creativity and collaboration.
It is the first year where students K-5 have a dedicated STEM class at Brook Forest. Classes range from 30 to 60 minutes per week depending on the students’ grade level.
“I’ve seen such growth since the fall,” said Longtin. Students are taking care to analyze the problem, brainstorm solutions, create a diagram, follow their plan and improve and modify the design.
“Our STEM program is inquiry based and the teacher acts as a facilitator as students go through a five-step process,” said Technology Director Farheen Beg. The focus is on engineering and problem solving, said Longtin.