On Saturday, March 28, the Wellesley STEM Expo returned to the school and community for the second year in a row.

The Wellesley STEM Expo is a hands-on community event in Wellesley and the greater Boston area that helps promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). As its website states, the Expo features “speakers, hands-on activities, workshops, student work showcase and a variety of other education experiences.”
The STEM Expo was formed in April of 2014 as a means of inspiring and enthusing “the next generation of scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians” in the Wellesley and greater Boston community. With over 100 expositors this year, the STEM Expo hopes to continue in achieving this goal.

STEM Expo organizer, committee member, student Eleanor Boyd ’18 was excited when she heard that the STEM Expo was happening again this year: “I love all the fields of work it tries to promote,” says Boyd. “I think is super important for our community to get involved.”

This year the STEM Expo offered a large variety of exhibits and workshops, as well a student showcase from local students. These were followed by a keynote address from award winner Dr. Sheila Nirenberg, and afterwards, a “Meet the STEM Professionals Reception” was held.

“I think the best part is the age range, where there is something for people of any age to attend,” said attendee and Abby Mui ’15, who also helped manage both the Green Team and Science Team tables. “The STEM expo does a great job at expanding STEM interests among the younger kids as well as kids in our generation.”

Some of the featured exhibits this year allowed visitors to hold a real brain, walk through a 43-foot humpback whale, build an Android app, explore the science of golf balls, as well as interact with robots from Harvard University and Olin College.

STEM Expo organizer, committee member, biology teacher Julie Boehm hopes that this year’s expo had a substantial effect on the community: “I hope the expo inspired young people to be excited about STEM. There are so many cool things you can do in those fields, and experiencing many of the inventions first hand can be a transformative moment for many students, and even adults.”

Boyd is also looking forward to the effects the expo had on the town: “I hope that it got people excited for the new advances that are coming out of this sector. I hope this gave people of all ages a chance and a reason to get involved.”

(Jameson O’Neil ’18, Staff Writer)

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