“Teachers, students, families, local businesses, and national and international companies came together to engage children,” said Mike Medvinsky, Dean of Pedagogy and Innovation. 

STEAM, an approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking, is an integral part of a University Liggett School education. The objective of this first-time event was to give children of all ages a forum for experiencing STEAM through more than 25 DIY make-and-take booths and live science demonstrations.

“Through this event, we invited children into the world of endless possibilities, which would not have been possible without the help of more than 100 volunteers and our booth facilitators,” Medvinsky said. “We owe a tremendous thank you to each and every one of the event sponsors for sponsoring booths and contributing their expertise to this event. We could not have done it without them.”

Activities such as the Michigan Science Center’s brand-new Discovery Dome were so popular that all the tickets to enter the dome were handed out 30 minutes into the event. The Discovery Dome is a portable planetarium that allows those inside to see the constellations, stars, planets, and galaxies in the night sky close-up. To extend the excitement of the Discovery Dome, visitors could then visit the “Look Up!” booth to use 2 high-powered astronomical telescopes with a variety of oculars to see distant stars and planets. This booth was facilitated by a University Liggett grandparent.

During the four-hour event, attendees were able to: 

• Build a LEGO structure and use a shake table to see if it would survive an earthquake
• Build and launch stomp rockets
• Interact with the Ford Robot ‘Digit’
• Create Art-Bot Art!
• Get a picture taken with Sunny, the DTE mascot 
• Contribute a painted square to the Van Gogh crowdsourced art installation!
• And more!

Monetary and in-kind sponsors for the STEAM Faire were: CHRO Solutions; Tara & Jody Ingle; Shaina and Neal Gram; John Cameron; American Cycle & Fitness; Bikes, Blades and Boards; DTE, Einstein Bagels; Lowe’s; Rainy Day Art & Framing; St. Clair Tooth Company; and Staples. Our valued community partners include The Center for Innovative Teaching & Learning; College for Creative Studies, Detroit Institute of Arts, Ford Motor Company and the Michigan Science Center.

Local food trucks, Batter Up and The Streat Corn-er,  were on hand to satisfy the hunger of our attendees with chicken & waffles, hot dogs, drinks and more.

See STEAM Faire coverage in the Grosse Pointe News.