March 16, 2018

TGR Foundation lights up SXSWedu

TGR Foundation at SXSWedu

We’re just coming up for air after an exciting week attending SXSWedu in Austin, Texas! Fostering innovation in learning, the conference proved to be a great setting for TGR Foundation to showcase who we are and further introduce educators to TGR EDU: Explore, our digital platform offering free STEM and college-access lessons and activities.

TGRF Booth at SXSWEdu

With nearly 16,000 people in attendance, the eighth annual conference marked TGR Foundation’s second appearance at SXSWedu. From our exhibitor booth at the Learning Expo to our interactive STEM station at the SXSWedu Playground space, TGR Foundation’s programs team had a blast meeting educators and students…oh and the Pope and the Texas Longhorns mascot, too!

Picture with Dr. Kathy Bihr and cardboard cutout of Pope

Texas Longhorns Mascot with TGR staff

Promo sticker for Playground booth at SXSWEdu

Getting creative, we applied STEM to our marketing campaign, adding flashing LED lights to our promotional stickers. By the end of the week, the Austin Convention Center was covered in blinking lights and everyone knew just where to find TGR Foundation at the conference!

Dr. Kathy Bihr writing on Spirit Wall

Our Learning Expo booth not only gave visitors an opportunity to navigate the TGR EDU: Explore site first-hand, but our tinker table made way for an exciting circuitry challenge.

Ipad showing TGR EDU Explore website

Designed to engage visitors with hands-on activities, the Playground space at SXSWedu was the perfect environment for TGR Foundation to set up our Digital Transmission lesson. Visitors were able to engage as engineers and assemble their own LED flashlights made out of 3-D printed materials. Step two had folks exploring the science behind different types of light sources and form light trails to capture a creative photo!

 

TGR staff with Educators at SXSWEdu

While we’re certainly going to miss the Tex-Mex cuisine, the live music and the down-home vibe of Austin, our TGR Foundation crew is excited to take all the valuable information we gained from connecting with so many passionate educators and students and apply it to the work we do every day!

To download free lesson plans, watch webinars and participate in digital STEM and college-access activities, visit https://www.tgreduexplore.org.

 

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