As an au pair here in America, if you are caring for school aged children, you may have heard of the term STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics literacy). Schools are starting STEM programs to get kids interested and engaged in these subjects because not only is it a big part of life now, they will be a huge part of the future in America. We are lucky enough to live in Fairfield County where the Discovery Museum, a huge proponent of STEM, is at our fingertips.
What is the Discovery Museum?
Three floors of mentally stimulating, hands-on exhibits for children is what you can anticipate when gaining admission. A planetarium, an indoor and outdoor ropes course, a moon base discovery area, earthquake vibration simulation, laws of physics with basketball, and a revolving planet earth showing Facebook’s usage all over the world, are just a few of the many features to explore on its premises. It’s not limited to school aged children; toddlers can enjoy themselves as well in the upstairs play area and throughout various exhibits. Check out the exhibits currently on display here.
Tell Me About STEM at the Museum
The Discovery Museum believes in the importance of providing hands on STEM learning experiences that resonate with children’s natural curiosity to foster a lifelong love of learning.There is an upcoming STEMtacular event taking place on 4/28 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the museum that will include hands-on activities, planetarium shows, Science on a Sphere demos, and more. Panel discussion topics include: young STEM entrepreneurs, STEM gateways, and higher STEM.
How Can I Interest My Children in STEM Programs?
Whether you’re a parent or an au pair, if the kids tend to say they are uninterested in science or math, you can spark their interest by using different tactics to help make science and math feel fun. There are DIY at home science experiments as suggested by the Discovery Museum, that include coding, and engineering projects. You can find the links by clicking here.
As mentioned by Sarah Tropp-Pacelli, on the Trevor and Jill talk STEM discussion on Facebook, engaging your children in the idea of science can be as simple as walking them around an exhibit and asking them what their observations are. When approached by a student that said he felt he wasn’t a good scientist, Sarah did just this. You can start to teach the basics of science in just this way-through observation and discussion.
Fun Facts & Tips About STEM
1.) STEM is the future for our as it relates to the job market. An average wage for a STEM job is $38.00/hr versus $19.30/hr for a non-STEM job.
2.) Only 36% of high school students will graduate and be prepared to take college level STEM sciences classes.
3.) You can begin to get your children engaged in science and math by sharing shows like Bill Nye the Science Guy, Odd Squad, and Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey with them.
The Discovery Museum is located at 4450 Park Avenue, Bridgeport, CT. Definitely add it to your list of to-do’s with the kids this Spring and Summer!