“We want to show the youth what kind of great jobs are out there and the beauty of science,” UMH Marketing Director Susan Ditto Rios said on UvaldeRadio.net.
Students of all ages and their parents attended El Progreso Memorial Library last Saturday, April 22nd for the Continental Tire 4th Annual Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) Expo which went on from 9 am to 2 PM.
One of the many highlights of the event was the microscopic natural art project where students would take tiny leaves, flowers, butterfly wings and shells and other items and place them under a special microscope equipped with a screen. Once the child was happy with the arrangement, a digital picture of the item was taken and then printed out in full color for the student to keep.
Uvalde Memorial Hospital ( UMH) had 5 medical stations set up in the Library’s meeting room including a lab demo with petri dishes with samples of germs. The UMH Radiology Department brought an ultrasound as well as the ICU department with an ultrasound vascular demo and exhibit. The UMH Emergency Room Department brought a summer safety exhibit featuring information about summer heat and safety. The UMH Wound Care Center also brought an exhibit about the science and technology of wound care.
“We want to show the youth what kind of great jobs are out there and the beauty of science,” UMH Marketing Director Susan Ditto Rios said in an interview on UvaldeRadio.net with Robert Miguel.
Continental Tire, the Title Sponsor for the Expo had an introduction to the Uvalde Proving Grounds Exhibit featuring a cut out portion of a tire which shows the features of a tire’s design.
Sul Ross University had several outdoor learning stations in front of the Library. Also just outside of the Library students could visit Southwest Texas Junior College’s table where they could make their own dart airplanes.
At 11 AM, Medina Electric Cooperative put on their Live-Wire show where an audience could learn about the dangers of high voltage and what could happen if a Mylar balloon comes in contact with power lines or if a person touches a high voltage line with their finger. A hot dog was used to represent a human finger.
Another experience which was new to this year’s Expo was an old technology exhibit set up inside the Library’s Youth Room. At this exhibit brought by Thaddeus Kochen, students could play old video games and even play a game of Pong which was the first popular video game which was introduced in the 1970’s
Taylor Martinez, a 15 year old Freshman at Uvalde High School attended the STEAM Expo.
“(I’m) someone who’s really considering a career path in science and I’m really passionate about science,” Martinez said.
“What inspired me to get into science was, just it makes up life. You have philosophy, you have science, you have the arts and I feel like they all tie into each other,” she said.
Martinez went on to say she is interested in studying astrophysics in college.
