Sharon School District partners with Penn State to bring STEAM camp

Penn State Shenango and the Sharon City School District are partnering to provide a unique experience to 170 sixth grade students as part of a STEAM Day on Nov. 23. The acronym, STEAM -- which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math -- is part of a movement to include the arts and creativity within the typical STEM fields. This joint venture to host the STEAM Day is part of a larger STEAM initiative in which the Sharon City School District secured a grant to integrate STEAM concepts into their curriculum, summer programs, and after school robotics programs.

As part of STEAM Day, Penn State Shenango faculty will provide hands-on STEAM activities for the students to foster excitement and interest in the STEAM fields. The event will offer a unique opportunity for the middle-school students to learn in a college classroom and to visit a college campus that is in their own community. Students will spend an entire school day on the Shenango campus exploring hands-on activities. Synthia, a synthetic cadaver, is one of the many highlights that students will discover when they step foot into Synthia’s Den. Not only will students be engaged while learning about Synthia and the complexities of our muscles and bones, but they will also be challenged to use their creativity in another session to engineer a “Big Sculpture” out of 1,500 cardboard tubes that were recycled and collected over the past several weeks from the campus and district.

Additionally, students will investigate the basic building block of life in a class session, titled “DNA-Molecules of Life,” and in other sessions they will have the opportunity to learn about the “Sweet Side of Chemistry” and “Bacteria: The Dark Truth.”  The students' minds will be intrigued by the scientific inquiry taking place in these classrooms and labs. In Sharon Hall, mathematical thinkers will have the opportunity in “Math in Magic” to use logical reasoning to solve real-life problems. Finally, in Lecture Hall, students will gain insight into the HeartRescue Project, a program designed to increase survival rates among cardiac arrest patients. 

The day-long event will include a treat that Penn State students and fans know all too well, Penn State Berkey Ice Cream. The sixth grade students will satisfy their sweet tooth by enjoying a dish from the Berkey Creamery in the Great Hall. The event will begin at 8:45 a.m. and conclude at 2:15 p.m. in the Penn State Shenango Auditorium, 147 Shenango Ave. Sharon, Pennsylvania.