Boys from Benton Middle School in Manassas had a chance to spend time with their own STEM/STEAM learning day.
Following the success of the school’s introduction to engineering program for girls, the school decided to do the same for the male students, called GET SMART – Guys Excelling Through Science, Math, Art, Reading, and Technology.
According to Prince William County Schools (PWCS), the idea was proposed by parent Gary Sims, who works in tech for Wells Fargo.
“The whole premise of this is a mini-conference. They’re going to get an eye opening of a lot of stuff around STEM and STEAM, with the hopes of driving them toward those career fields, and more importantly, teaching them and their guardians that STEM is more than engineering and math. It’s about creativity, it’s about art. It’s about playing games, it’s about the creative thought process that these young minds harness,” said Sims.
During the event, students were brought into five sessions – aerospace engineering, forensics, game design, cybersecurity, and innovation and patterns.
Students at the event had a positive experience.
“The Boy’s STEM event is really fun and entertaining. You’ll find out new things that you’ve never seen before,” said student Christopher Ajay.
