YRTS Primary STEAM Fair

Written by Stacie Gibson

Yarra Ranges Tech School teamed up with the Eastern Regional Libraries Lilydale branch to launch the Primary School STEAM Fair on Space in mid-May. This was launched as an afterschool event for primary school aged students with their caregivers. We had a variety of technologies available that allowed the students to explore their curiosities in coding, electronics, and design.

We waited nervously at the registration table for the kids to arrive, the doors opened and they began to walk through. Each of the kids were given a certificate to collect a gold star at the completion of each workshop as a keepsake at the end of the event. They all piled into the auditorium to hear from Ashley Van Krieken, Director of Yarra Ranges Tech School, talk about space and Mars. He brought in his model Lego sets of Apollo 1 and the Mars rover to share with the kids who sat their eagerly watching and listening to every word he said. Answering his questions and laughing with enjoyment at the demonstrations.

It was now time for the workshops, students were divided into 3 groups and had the chance to use each of the different technologies on offer. The laser cutting allowed students the chance to be creative and draw on a template to be cut while they went through the other workshops.

After the successful launch of our Primary School STEAM Fair we decided to run the sessions again at the tech school during the school holidays. We kept the theme Space and held 2 sessions on the one day. Within a week both sessions were sold out and we were astounded at the response from parents wanting their kids to attend these sessions, having to make a waitlist.

Even with Covid we were happy to have sold out both sessions and receive positive feedback to make these a regular program at the tech school.

The next holiday program for primary school aged kids will run in the September school holidays and we are excited to be doing this on Volcanoes!! Keep an eye on our socials and website for when this will become available.