Blog Post

Bringing STEM Career Awareness to Elementary Students

Young learners can benefit from hearing and seeing what STEM professionals actually do in the real world. Here’s one example of how an elementary school is bringing STEM career awareness to their students through a Career Awareness Celebration. Students at Prescott South Elementary School in Cookeville, TN are excited about October 31, 2017! They have […]Read more The post Bringing STEM Career Awareness to Elementary Students appeared first on Tennessee STEM Innovation Network.

Career Class

Medical Student

Students at Prescott South Elementary School in Cookeville, TN are excited about October 31, 2017! They have spent the past few weeks selecting and researching a future STEM career and are now designing their STEM costumes. During this exploratory learning unit, students learn that a career involves not only education but also specific abilities and a drive to improve skills within an area of focus. These K-4 students are discussing the education required to attain skills for their chosen careers and determining what college, technical studies, or other skills/training options are required to be successful in their chosen field.

What happens during this career celebration event?

PSES students, dressed to represent their chosen STEM career, rotate through interactive sessions with 20+ STEM professionals, learning about their work and the types of authentic tasks they would encounter in those positions. PSES’s school counselor, Dale Bryant , arranges the speakers and provides them a Speaker’s Guide that encourages the volunteers to have hands-on, active stations for 5-7 minutes as well as how to hold the attention of the young audience