STEM Trip exposes youth to cutting edge technology

Fifty-five youth traveled to Ames on Monday, Nov. 21, for a day of hands-on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) experiences on the campus of Iowa State University. Middle school students from Des Moines, Henry, Lee, Louisa, and Washington Counties had the opportunity to explore virtual reality by utilizing the Iowa State University FLEx (Forward Learning Experience) Virtual Reality Lab. Although Iowa?s K-12 population is tech savvy, they still have more to learn before maneuvering through advanced technology to solve problems in design and manufacturing, says an Iowa State University industrial design professor. The FLEx Lab is designed to help youth do just that.

Students spent the day riding a virtual roller coaster across central campus, picking up and arranging objects in a virtual space, creating 3 dimensional figures using tablets, printing 3-D objects, experiencing the use of panoramic photo software, and printing their own cyanotypes.

The STEM Trip program is produced by a collaboration of The Iowa State Extension and Outreach Offices of Des Moines, Henry, Lee, Louisa, and Washington Counties. ISU Extension and Outreach is part of an educational network supported by Iowa State University, local county governments, and the United States Department of Agriculture. ISU Extension and Outreach works to provide learning opportunities for citizens of Iowa by providing unbiased, research-based information that will improve quality of life.