The University held the eighth annual STEM in the Park at the Perry Field House on a hot first weekend of fall. People of all ages could choose from countless STEM-based activities throughout the day, and one robotics team brought along their Star Trek namesake mascot: Tribble.
Each year, STEM in the Park provides space for organizations dealing with science, technology, engineering or mathematics to highlight what they do. One robotics team, Team Virus 3547, had members showcasing their robotic creations and the team’s mission.
Team Virus is based in Monroe, Michigan and is made up of 73 members spanning from elementary to college students. This age range makes Team Virus one of the most integrated teams present at STEM in the Park.
The team meets year-round at the Career Technology Center at Monroe County Community College. They also take part in multiple robotics competitions throughout the year – with the encouragement of their stuffed mascot, Tribble.
At this year’s STEM in the Park, the team came to encourage people in the Bowling Green community to pursue their own robotics clubs.
“I have a theory that students are scared out of STEM,” Jeff Demaray, team mentor, said. “It gets harder and more challenging before it gets fun.”
By introducing younger children to STEM, Team Virus allows members to get to the “fun” part of STEM with the help of friends. Antonia Gessner, an elementary member, expressed what she likes about the team after being a member for several months.
“My favorite part (of the team) is making new friends and trying our best to win competitions,” she said.
While STEM can often be robotics based, STEM in the Park has science-based activities spanning nearly all subjects. University of Toledo research assistant, Travis Jones, was providing cloud identification activities for children, some of which were courtesy of NASA.
“We basically create cloudscapes so children can learn different cloud names,” he said. “There’s also the NASA observer app. Anyone can take photos of clouds and contribute to NASA’s database of cloud types that’s used by students and scientists.”
The app, GLOBE Observer, is free to download. Anyone of any age can contribute to the cloud database by simply taking a picture. The app allows NASA to compare satellite images to on-the-ground data, which can increase the accuracy of research.
Jones hopes apps like this can increase the number of citizen scientists. By taking photos of clouds, anyone can become a citizen scientist.
With over 100 stations, the educational opportunities presented by STEM in the Park were many. Those wanting to know more about other STEM activities at the event can view BG24’s video coverage of the event, which includes footage of the Toledo Zoo’s animal show.
