All three divisions came together on Thursday, April 10, for the 3rd annual STEMposium, an exciting celebration of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics at EA. The event—which showcased the intellectual curiosity of 65 Upper School students, five Middle School students, and six Lower School students’ independent research projects—also featured interactive activities and presentations from numerous clubs, classes, and extracurricular groups, along with specialized STEM stations tailored for Middle and Lower Schoolers. Some of this year's favorites included a dissection table, an up-close look at the robotics teams' competition robots, PJAS student research presentations, hands-on STEM manipulatives, and drones flying overhead.
"The 3rd annual STEMposium was a fantastic event!" said Science Department Chair Dr. Katie Colyer. "It was so exciting to have 100+ student presenters and so much support from the EA community. [This event] is a wonderful opportunity for students to showcase their projects, interests, and curiosity in STEM, and we are so proud of all of the students who participated. It was fascinating to see such a wide range of STEM research, activities, clubs, and academic pursuits in one room.”
The day-long event, held in Maple Family Hall, provided a continuous schedule of STEM-focused activities from 9:15 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., including dedicated sessions for each division and a special open house in the evening for the wider community.
Extending beyond Maple Family Hall, a tent was set up just outside the Hill Science Center for Lower Schoolers to make seed strips and create collaborative artwork in celebration of Earth Day. "This year, Lower School classes were excited to make seed strips that consisted of native seeds, compostable paper, and flour,” stated Dr. Colyer. “On Earth Day—April 22—they will plant them and get to see the flowers grow over time!”
In addition, Middle School students dedicated their afternoon to exploring a variety of STEM-themed stations by grade level. “6th grade learned about the layers of the Earth and spent time outside conceptualizing the scale [while] 7th grade participated in a science station of seed clusters and making sun prints, and participated in an engineering station where they made tennis ball towers,” Dr. Colyer explained. “Meanwhile, 8th grade visited a math station where they solved problems and puzzles around the room as well as a technology station involving sorting human algorithms.”
The organization of this year's STEMposium was guided by a dedicated committee comprised of Dr. Colyer, Lower School Science Teacher Catherine Bennett, Hon., Upper School Science Teacher Cheryl Cossel, Upper School Science Teacher Jenn Jones, Upper School Science Teacher Grace Limaye '90, Computer Science & Engineering Chair Matt Memmo, Hon., Upper School Math Teacher Tracy Motley, Lower School Science Teacher Adam Murray, Upper School Science Teacher Carrie Nielsen, and Middle School Math Teacher Allison Schultz, Hon.
While the celebration of student achievements in STEM fields was a central aspect of the day, Dr. Colyer noted that this annual event also serves as a valuable opportunity for students to explore potential avenues for future involvement in STEM. "We had many student research presentations which ranged from PJAS independent projects, Lilley Independent Studies, Lower School projects, Annenberg, robotics, and even extensions of class projects,” she said. “STEMposium really shows how many opportunities there are for students to pursue various types of research at EA.”