Start Early:
Middle School STEM Fair as a
Recruitment Tool
STEMTech
Indianapolis, Indiana
October 3, 2011
About the Presenters
Jonathan Paver
Dean, Arts & Sciences
 Antoinette Baldin
Dean, Business & Technology
 Ric Segovia
Assistant Dean, Arts & Sciences
 Jo Beth Halpin
Faculty, Architecture

About Triton College
Western suburbs of Chicago
 63 square miles
 District Population over 330,000
 17,000 students (8,200 FTE)
 75% of students attend part-time

Discussion Question

What STEM related K-12 outreach
initiatives does your school currently have
in place?
Triton College STEM Fair
The evolution from Science Day to
STEM Fair
 Planning

◦ How do you structure a day to engage 180
middle school students?
◦ How do you feed them?
◦ How do you get faculty involved?
Coordination

Division of schools:
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Hester Junior High School
Union Ridge School
Komarek School District/NJHS
Elm Middle School
River Grove School
◦ 5 Schools/Districts x 36 students each = 180
Informational Agenda
What You Will Need To Know To Get Started
Triton College has reserved thirty-six (36) seats for students
from your district’s middle schools to participate in the annual
STEM Fair. Selection of students is entirely up to you. Please
select 36 students you wish to attend the STEM Fair and
forward this information to our office.
Include the number of chaperones who will accompany your
students, and include their names too. Your “confirmation list”
should include 36 student names and chaperones. Also, include
the names of your participating schools and email addresses for
your chaperones. Send all information by April 15th. Email to
Ric Segovia at rsegovia@triton.edu.
Informational Agenda
About the STEM Fair
The STEM Fair is an exciting, hands-on, one day event featuring
activities in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and
Mathematics. Lunch is included along with a science
demonstration featuring Mike Davis, host of “City Science,” that
aired on WYCC.
Participating students (and chaperones) should expect to be on
campus from 9:15 a.m. to 2:10 p.m. Because we would like for
all students to get the most out of the STEM fair, we ask that
students participating in the Fair remain on campus the entire
day. We cannot accept half day participants. Lunch will be
provided for all students and chaperones. You can expect your
students to be challenged and immersed into a world of
Sciences.
Informational Agenda
Location
Triton College will host the STEM Fair on its campus in the Robert
Collins Building, located on the east side of the campus. Schools must
provide their own transportation. Upon arrival, chaperones should
escort students through the main doors of the Robert Collins Building.
There will be a registration table in the main lobby to get you started.
Buses can expect to pull into the main parking lot in front of the
Robert Collins Building for loading and unloading. After unloading,
buses should move to the south end of the lot if they choose to
remain on campus and wait for afternoon departure. Students can
expect to load buses at approximately 2:10 p.m.
All STEM Fair activities, including lunch, will be held in doors in the
Robert Collins Building. (We went with your idea for lunch!)
Informational Agenda
Arrival/Check In and Departure
Arrival and Check In time is between 9:15 and
9:40. Please allow time for check in and
registration. The first activity begins at 9:45.
When your students check in, an escort will be
assigned to your group. Chaperones will be
given an instructional packet to begin their
activities. We ask that chaperones stay with
their groups throughout the day.
Group Agenda
Internal Coordination
Rooms
 Classes
 Volunteers

Volunteers
Sonja Godlewski
Allison Dussias
Liz Brindise
Beth Child
Judy Jiang
Larry Manno
Cullen Nicholson
Sue Rohde
Preet Saluja
Jennifer Smith
Lance Wilson
Joe Beuchel
Gabe Guzman
Scott Baker
Mary Romberger
Jennise Fermoso
Rachel Widd
Kimberly Ramirez
Hema Patel
Roger Bowling
Rachel Ziarko
Claribel, Matias
Vanessa Martinez
Charmi Desai
Andrew Michael Mastro
Holly Nicole Brown
Rene Franklin
Mariano Garcia
Marlon Johnson
Vanessa K. Patkowski
Amanda Lorren Valenzuela
Myrna La Rosa
Cynthia Harris
Sandy Poremba
Zack Zikora
Jamease Mosley
Leslie Skopick
Forbes Reyes
Chris Pandolofo
Mina Rezaeian
Rudy Bahena
Pedro Macias
Tim Love
JoBeth Halpin
Frances Figg
Brian Hammersley
Peter Winkler
Larry Schmidt
Missy Cabrera
Rich Bodner
Luke Sikora
Jagoda Soltys
Loredonna Barar
Arame Diagne
Josey Miranda
Jennifer Irizarry
Agata Wiater
Taryn Parham
Joy Fritz
Rosa Preston
Linda Martinez
Angela Satala
Sabrina Frederick
Pedro Nevarez
Sarah Gibbs
Klaudia Michalczak
Angela Camacho
Gabriela Cossyleon
Marketing

Partnership Meetings
◦ K-8 Partners provided contact people at
schools
Personal Communication
 Website marketing:

STEM Fair
Triton College will host a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and
Mathematics) Fair on April 28th, 2011. One-hundred-eighty (180) middle
school students from our district will arrive at the Robert Collins building at
9:30 a.m. for an all day event. The students will attend fun and exciting
activities in areas of Health, Science, and Technology. After lunch students will
attend a science demonstration featuring Mike Davis, the local “Science Guy.”
Outcomes

STEM Fair Activities
The Activities Schedule (included)
outlines the times of the activities and
lunch. Students will participate in all
activities. Some schools may be grouped
with other schools.
Activities
#1 SCIENCE CRIME BUSTERS: Who Ate
the Brownie Batter?
Students will analyze evidence taken from the crime
scene and determine who is the perpetrator.
Chaperones will be asked to participate in this
activity and lead their students through the
evidence. This activity includes analysis of hair,
fingerprints, footprints found at the scene, and
powder residue found on each suspect.
Note to chaperones: Chaperones may be called to
be the suspects.
Activities
#2 TEMPERATURE AND THERMOMETERS:
Body Works
Students will explore elements of health care and
learn the importance of hand washing and its
relation to medical procedures. Students take their
own temperature using disposable thermometers
and will learn the significance of body temperature
and how to convert temperature from Fahrenheit to
Celsius using a standard formula. Next, students will
learn to measure respiration and learn the relation
of radial pulse to heart function as they take their
own pulse.
Activities
#3 ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY:
Scaling Up
This activity introduces students to reading plans,
construction techniques, and scale. Students will learn
the fundamental steps in building a simple, single-story
residential shed through mode building. This activity will
introduce students to Architecture/Construction
Management and an actual glance at the full size shed
that was built by Triton students in their Wood and
Masonry Technology class. Every student will receive a
kit with a set of architectural drawings, plans and
elevations, and precut balsa wood for constructing a
scale model. Students will be able to keep their Shed
Kit so they can finish their model at home.
Results of the Event
Video Presentation
Discussion Question

What do you perceive are the positives
and negatives of recruitment programs
targeted at K-8 students?
Discussion Question

What is one idea that you will bring back
to your home institution from this
session?
Other Questions?