Students highlight repertoire of STEM skills at Boston conference

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to volunteer at the Tiger Woods Foundation’s first Boston STEM conference at Northeastern University. Working primarily on the foundation’s fundraising events, I do not have as many opportunities to take part in these types of programming events. So when opportunities like this arise, I always offer to volunteer, as I truly enjoy spending an afternoon helping to empower our youth.

As I walked around to the different classrooms, I couldn’t help but be impressed by what these students were learning. From creating apps, to making DNA necklaces, to designing NASA rovers for Mars, there was something for everyone.

One of my favorite seminars was “So You Want to be an Engineer.” In this seminar, students were given a budget to buy supplies they would use to build a device that would protect an egg from breaking during a drop. Some students wrapped their egg in newspaper and duct tape, while others used a balloon to help slow down the egg’s fall from the top of a ramp. Overall, a large majority of the groups ended up building successful protection devices for their eggs!

How do you take your eggs? #eggdrop @Northeastern |@TWFoundation STEM Conference pb @nationalgridus pic.twitter.com/xb3ZgSkoKM

— Mike Antolini (@TWFAnto) March 12, 2016

The STEM Conference wasn’t just for students. For the parents in attendance, there were multiple college workshops they could attend. From learning about the admissions process, to listening to other college students speak, to becoming familiar with internship opportunities and how to pay for college, the parents learned how they could support their kids throughout the college process. When talking to the parents, a lot of them were very appreciative of all the workshops available to them. One women stated, “I wish I could attend ALL of these!” It was obvious the parents were just as appreciative as the students.

Overall, it was a very successful first STEM conference in Boston. For me, it is days like these that make all of the long days producing first-class fundraising events worth it. It’s so important to focus on the bigger picture and what we are all working toward as a staff: helping youth succeed in college and beyond.