The Lynn YMCA will play a large role in the upcoming STEM fair in the City on Thursday, October 24th from 4:00pm-7:00pm.  Hosted by the Lynn Education District the YMCA has partnered with other education leaders in the community to offer this free STEM-focused fair to the community for the first time.  The fair, focused on STEM, is designed to help the community get a better understanding of the role science (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics ) plays in our lives.

The fair is part of Massachusetts state-wide STEM Week.  According to Kathleen Walsh, president and CEO of the Metro North YMCA, and chairwoman of the Lynn Education District, the theme is “Imagining Yourself at STEM.  She said, “We want to accentuate the things we do every day, and how does science apply, but we want to present it in a non-scary way.”  Employment in STEM-related occupations is projected to grow to more than 9 million jobs nationwide by 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Massachusetts has the most technology jobs per capita in the country, according to STEM.

The Lynn YMCA is among other education district organizations that will host activities right in their buildings.  Alongside the Lynn YMCA, St. Mary’s High, Lynn Vocational Technical Institute and KIPP Academy will each host STEM focused activities as part of the fair.  Each of these educational facilities are located in an area of the City increasingly referred to as the “Lynn Education District” for the number of schools that are in close proximity to each other.

“First and foremost, this brings together all the educational aspects of the city and the non-profits to the table to promote STEM education and introduce it to kids in a non-threatening way,” said Kathleen Walsh.  She explains the education district, which was launched last year, has devised an idea that defines its mission to “use our collective strength and capabilities to build strong kids and neighborhoods.”

For the Lynn YMCA the STEM fair is particularly exciting opportunity to raise awareness about the ‘New Lynn YMCA’ project that is currently under construction in front of the existing building on Neptune Blvd. in Lynn.  This 70,000 square ft. addition to the Lynn YMCA campus is set to open in late 2020.  Once the project is complete the YMCA will be able to drastically enhance its already booming childcare enrollment and equip new classrooms with the latest in STEM technology.

Hannah Glenshaw, Curriculum Coordinator at the Lynn YMCA, expresses “We cannot stress enough the impact a new building, increased space, and upgraded technology will have on our ability to have a positive impact on the children who come through our program each day.”  Hannah joined the Lynn YMCA team in 2018 and has focused on incorporating activities that focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math for children ages 2.9 through middle school since coming onboard.  One activity she led was helping the children create a model of the ‘New’ Lynn YMCA out of Legos!

Along with the YMCA, other committee members working on the STEM Fair include Salem State University, North Shore Community College, the Lynn Economic Opportunity (LEO), Girls Inc. of Lynn, Boys & Girls Club, Greater Lynn Chamber of Commerce, Raw Art Works, Change is Simple and the Essex Media Group.

Families who attend the STEM fair in Lynn on October 24th can expect the following educational activities happening at participating locations.

  • KIPP will partner with the Boys and Girls Club of Lynn and Change is Simple, Inc. to offer Clean Tech activities, including an Energy Creation Station, building wind turbines, and teaching about energy efficiency.
  • Lynn Tech will combine with North Shore Community College to offer drone activities, a Computer-aided design (CAD) workshop and 3D printing activity, and a biology/chemistry experience to solve a mystery.
  • The YMCA  will offer a photobooth costume experience and a boat building activity with the chance to float the boats in the “Y” pool. Also the “Y,” Girls Inc. will offer a hands-on engineering and physics and marine science activity with Northeastern University Marine Science Center. And LEO will offer younger children Fizzy Rainbow science project experiments.
  • St. Mary’s will host construction trades. Activities will include how to manage a construction robot, horticulture and soils management, and building a foundation.

If you have questions regarding the STEM fair, or would like to learn more about the education district, please contact Hannah Glenshaw, STEM Curriculum Coordinator for the Lynn YMCA, at hglenshaw@metronorthymca.org.

This information is paraphrased from an article that appeared in the Daily Item bu Steve Krause on September 29, 2019.