U-46 seeks participants for STEM expo

Elgin Area School District U-46 is seeking a few good scientists for its annual STEM Expo this spring.

The district will host a series of kickoff events in November to encourage students from kindergarten through high school to develop project ideas.

"It's like a way just to get students engaged to start thinking about what type of projects they would like to do for the STEM Expo," said Heather Rocen, U-46 science instructional coach.

The 2015 STEM Expo is Feb. 28 at South Elgin High School.

Students can use cutting-edge technologies, experiment with next-generation science, check out live chemistry and physics demonstrations, exploring all areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The expo is open to all students who live within U-46's attendance boundaries, including private and home school students.

More than 1,000 students, parents, and community members participated and attended last year's expo, which featured about 600 student projects.

"This year, we hope to get more students involved," Rocen said. "We are really aiming to break 1,000 projects."

The district has been publicizing the expo through area libraries and is considering advertising through local businesses, she said.

Typically, the majority of participants are fourth- through sixth-graders.

Rocen said officials hope to increase participation among high schoolers.

"We also want to reach out to those students who aren't really familiar with STEM to get them more engaged in it, so we don't limit it," she said.

At last year's expo, a group of Bartlett High School freshmen debuted an app they developed to help track calories and graph exercise progress. Past projects have included experiments by kindergarten through third-graders examining which paper towel is the strongest and which battery lasts longest, Rocen said.

"Last year, we had a group of middle school kids who created their own hovercrafts," Rocen pointed out. "The range of projects is phenomenal."

Students can pick up their 2015 STEM Expo information packet to begin planning projects at the following kickoff events:

• 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Nov. 5 - Gail Borden Library Rakow Branch, 2751 W. Bowes Road, Elgin

• 6 to 8 p.m. Nov. 10 - Poplar Creek Library, 1405 S. Park Ave., Streamwood

• 6 to 8 p.m. Nov. 11 - Gail Borden Public Library, 270 N. Grove Ave., Elgin

• 6 to 8 p.m. Nov. 12 ­- Bartlett Public Library, 800 S. Bartlett Road., Bartlett

For more information, visit u-46.org.