STEM conference uses robotics, technology to appeal to young minority students

BALTIMORE -- Hundreds of students—from every grade in elementary school through high school—recently gathered at the New Psalmist Baptist Church to attend an all-day STEM conference.

At the conference, young people were challenged to think outside the box.

Students like fifth-grader Hannah Green got to explore their interests. They were offered the opportunity to attend over a dozen sessions, from 3D writing, forensics, paleontology, and robotics.

In the robotics session, each child got to program their own robot.

"I am very excited...robot things and tech," Green said of her experience.

Students entered a friendly competition with the robots and collected points based on the distance the robot was able to travel.

The goal of the conference was to expose minority children to STEM, an acronym for the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Each workshop showcased a section of the industry and conveyed to students how gratifying STEM careers can be.

Less than 10% of STEM jobs are filled by people of color, according to the National Science Foundation.

Seventh-grader Kole Williams said he was not sure what he wants to do in his future, but the experience at the conference piqued his interest in the world of STEM.

"What we do is show them...this is a long term opportunity for them," Sandra Adams, chair of STEMcx, said.