More than 400 South Orangetown students spanning grades K-12 presented their science, technology, engineering, art and math projects at the 2018 SOCSD School Maker Faire, the district’s fifth annual STEAM expo, which packed both gyms at Tappan Zee High School. District staff, families and community members were wowed by students’ creativity and enthusiasm, and presenters themselves reported that they were inspired by other students’ work.
New to the Faire this year was a “Cool Careers” area, which provided students and parents the opportunity to speak with local professionals in STEM fields. Thank you to our Cool Careers volunteers: beekeeper and beekeeping instructor Bill Day from the Pfeiffer Center; marine biologist, research assistant and TZHS alumna Carol Knudson from Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, civil and structural engineer Mal McLaren of McLaren Engineering Group, and Board of Education member Leon Jacobs, who is a civil engineer and construction manager at Frontier-Kemper Constructors, Inc.
“I am so proud of the hundreds of students who participated in South Orangetown Maker Faire for exhibiting an amazing array of projects highlighting their interests in science, technology, engineering, art, and math,” said South Orangetown Council PTA President Vicki Caramante, an event founder and co-organizer. “Not only were scores of collaborative, classroom-based projects presented, but there were almost as many that were created at home, demonstrating how our children are inspired to apply classroom knowledge outside of class. Projects were innovative, inspiring, and just plain fun. And the Cool Careers section gave students and families an opportunity to further connect what they’re learning to potential employment.”
“Watching our School Maker Faire grow each year shows the dedication and excitement our community has for innovation and technology,” adds K-12 Instructional Technology Coach and event founder/co-organizer Marc Eckert. “Having this tremendous community support will allow us to continue to evolve and expand our programs and opportunities to serve our students well.”
The SOCSD School Maker Faire is the result of the dedication, hard work and passion of many people, including Mr. Eckert, Mrs. Caramante, and: Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Brian Culot, Director of Technology George Brady, the SOCSD Facilities Department and TZHS custodial staff, and the instructional coaches, teachers and families for encouraging our students to create. Special thanks to our PTA and student volunteers for making sure that registration and set-up went smoothly for all.
For photos, click here to view the district’s Facebook post…and stay tuned for our 2018 School Maker Faire video!
By SOCSD Communication
