The Learning Must Go On - DISD Takes STEM Expo Virtual For 2021
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - If you are looking for an activity to keep kids entertained this weekend, there is a fun and educational event happening that the whole family can participate in from the comfort of home.
Dallas ISD is hosting a 'Virtual STEM EXPO' this weekend. The district's STEM EXPO started seven years ago, as a way to expose students to careers in STEM fields including science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Since it began, the EXPO has been so popular and successful over the years that it was moved from being held at a district high school to the Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center.
Organizers say they did not want the pandemic to cancel the EXPO in 2021, so they made the decision to take it virtual.
"It was a big undertaking," said Oswaldo Alvarenga, the Superintendent of STEM for Dallas ISD.
"We had to find new technologies and new ways to make sure we could get quality activities and quality education to students and I think we are going to be successful at doing that."
The virtual expo will feature over 90 exhibits and activities that will be sorted in the virtual EXPO by grade level and category, a layout Crysal Alexander, the STEM Manager for Dallas ISD, says will be user-friendly as parents search for activities suited for their child's age and interests.
In addition to STEM activities, there will be eight district competitions shown live including coding, robotics, and e-sports competitions.
The virtual EXPO isn't just open to DISD students. The greater Dallas area is invited to participate, and organizers hope students of all ages will be inspired by the virtual events.
"We hope the EXPO will spark an interest in STEM they didn't have before," Alexander says.
"Most of the time our students aren't exposed to these different types of fields, so maybe [they will see] something that will spark their interest in pursuing STEM as a career or a field of study."
The virtual STEM EXPO begins Saturday morning at 8:30 and participants must register to gain access to the events. If you can't attend on Saturday, Dallas ISD says the activities will remain available on the expo's website for a few months.
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