The Missouri State Fair brings together stakeholders including producers, teachers, and agricultural leaders who encourage and recognize Missouri youth participating in competitions and agricultural programs. This year, the fair was held at Sedalia Missouri spanning 11 days between Friday, August 10, 2023 to Saturday, August 20, 2023.

The Kummer STEM Center for Education amongst other S&T departments participated in the event, each marrying the goals of S&T and the State Fair towards the success of the event. An exhaustive list of other departments in attendance include Nuclear Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Psychological Engineering, Doshi Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, and more. The theme of the university’s representation was to SPARK A STEM FUTURE in the youth who attended. STEM refers to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics and S&T has been a flag bearer in Missouri. The presence of the STEM Center marveled attendees and spiced their experience. 

At the fair, the goal of the STEM Center was to provide engaging activities and equipment which may not have been exposed to these K-12 children in underserved areas in Missouri. It was a great opportunity to reach out to a vast number of K-12 youth in one place. Each day, the STEM Center held engaging demos and experiential activities. Attendees interacted with S&T’s walking, dancing Robodog Spot! They also got a unique experience with the STEM Mobile which brings hands-on educational activities to sites throughout the state. VR (virtual reality), introduction to circuitry, binary code bracelets, yard games, robot shows, sphero balls, and so much more. 

Of all her experiences at the event, the Director of the STEM Center Courtney Jones found so much joy in the creation of new social familiarities amongst the children who visited the STEM Center. Courtney and other staff members of the STEM Center were happy answering to the S&T and STEM interests of the children, especially the ones who repeated visitation throughout the whole 11 days of the events.

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