BUFFALO, N.Y. — For this National STEM Day, the spotlight is on the WNY STEM Hub as they bring back in-person STEM outreach programs after outlasting challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Earlier this week Storm Team 2 Meteorologist Elyse Smith spoke with Simone Ragland, executive director of the WNY STEM Hub, ahead of National STEM Day on Nov. 8. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, and then there's STEAM, adding an "A" for Arts.
They discussed the importance of bringing STEM to historically underrepresented groups such as women and minorities, which is what this local organization is all about. Through free outreach programs, after school activities and weekend community events, the WNY STEM Hub aims to provide an outlet for students to explore STEM fields and subjects through hands on learning experiences.
And through those, Simone mentioned how they help nurture a student's STEM Identity.
"One of the number one goals when we expose students to STEM and STEAM projects and experiences," Simone said. “But aside from that, increase communication skills, increase computation skills, increase problem solving, increase critical thinking. Those are the things that I see with the students that I’ve worked with. We want to raise their consciousness and expose them to as many opportunities so they can begin to think about those careers and career pathways.”
She too mentioned that "Every day is STEM Day," as it is for some many who are working in STEM fields and working towards a career in one. For more information on the WNY STEM Hub, click here. You can also follow their Instagram page for events and updates @wnystemhub.