Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science presented its sixth annual Traveling STEM Carnival for over a thousand fourth graders Monday.
Since launching in 2014, the annual carnival has traveled to various parts of Mississippi to give students the opportunity to learn more about science, technology, engineering and math principles in a fun, interactive way.
This year, MSMS students and faculty hosted the Traveling STEM Carnival for a multitude of fourth grade classes from 33 Jackson Public Schools. During the carnival, students engaged in eight different exhibits that included hands-on activities, science experiments and math-based competitions.
Among the students, teachers and parents at the event, Lekeshia Clark, the program director for Rural Girls Engaged in Math & Science + Technology at Hinds Community College, also made an appearance to learn more about the Traveling STEM Carnival.
“I would love to see more of this in the K-12 setting because it provides pathways that enable young people to become engaged, knowledgeable and skilled in the STEM discipline,” Clark said. “Everything we know about the way the world is evolving is saying STEM is becoming a more important part of not only the technology sector, but every sector of the economy—and, frankly, solving most of the world’s most important problems. Because of this, we need to ensure our future generations are equipped for what’s to come.”
In addition to the Traveling STEM Carnival, MSMS hosts a series of competitions, field trips and summer enrichment camps throughout the year to encourage student involvement in math and science. To learn more about these outreach events, visit themsms.org.