Learn About growingSTEMS Programs at Open House

growingSTEMS will hold its annual open house for all of its programs beginning at 9am Saturday, August 26. The Patuxent Partnership is one of the group’s sponsor.

The organization is designed to support Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education and raise awareness for STEM programs. Started as an outreach initiative by Team 836 The RoboBees, growingSTEMS (growing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Students) is a nonprofit that aims to promote STEM awareness and education in Southern Maryland and beyond.

The organization has three major branches — outreach, support and scholarship.

The purpose of the outreach branch is to seek out students and adults who are not currently involved in STEM activities. These efforts will include programs focused at both STEM education and awareness.

The goal is to reach students early so that they will have a better understanding of STEM fields, regardless of what they choose to study. The group hopes that by facilitating this understanding, it will be creating a generation that celebrates innovation and creativity in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, as well as other fields. Its members also hope to educate parents and adults about the importance and benefits of STEM education, so they are better equipped to support their students.

The support branch will focus on supporting existing STEM activities and teams such as FIRST Robotics (FTC, FRC), and VEX along with the associated competitions. This group will also support other organizations, such as the Boy Scouts, with their STEM programs.

At growingSTEMS, organizers understand that they can’t achieve their goals by themselves. This is where the support branch comes in. By supporting current STEM activities and organizations the group is able to reach students where they are. Helping other groups work toward their STEM related goals is a key initiative and main function of growingSTEMS.

A student’s journey through education starts with curiosity and continues with participation. The final step is scholarship. The goal of the scholarship branch is to help graduating seniors pursue and obtain STEM-related scholarships. This will be done by providing a list of scholarship opportunities and giving tips on how to apply for and write essays for scholarships.

Click here and email for more information.

The Patuxent Partnership provides a list of STEM resources. Click here for more information.