EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP — Not long before Saturday, Stephen Lusk said he didn’t now the township’s Police Activities League existed, let alone know that it had a STEM program.
Lusk saw an advertisement for the STEM Expo on Facebook and decided to check it out with his 8-year-old son, Nikolai, and 5-year-old daughter, Quinn. With both kids already showing an interest in similar activities, Lusk decided to sign both kids up for the summer program.
He credits the expo, which was free and open to the public, for possibly opening up a new world to his children.
“I think it’s great. I think it’s really interesting to see all this stuff,” said Lusk, 38, of Northfield. “Finding all this stuff in one spot is challenging. We have a great variety for (kids) to explore and tinker with. It’s very family friendly.”
People are also reading…
STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering and math.
The PAL, which has been operating for more than three decades, started its robotics program in 2012, said STEM director Michelle Riordan, who got her start with PAL as an instructor. The PAL held its first expo in 2019 and then brought it back in March 2022. This is the third straight year it’s been held in March to celebrate New Jersey STEM Month, Riordan said.
About 25 exhibits ranged from robotics demonstrations, green energy, hands-on demonstrations with equipment from emergency responders and more. Five vendors also were selling various items. Karma Snyder, range safety manager at the NASA/Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, held a virtual presentation. Riordan expected more than 300 people to check out the 4-hour expo.
The First Tech Challenge team, which calls itself the Enforcers, won the New Jersey State Championships on March 17, outscoring 177 other teams around the state. With the win, FTC is looking to raise $30,000 to make the trip to Houston on April 16-20 for the World Championship, which will featured 224 teams from 25 different countries.
Riordan spent most of the morning and early afternoon buzzing around the PAL building, either helping someone set up for a presentation or answering questions. She periodically took a few moments to snap some photos for the website.
But she also enjoyed taking in the expo, especially watching the young kids interact with the presenters or work on their Lego drag racers. She said the goal was engagement and providing a spark to young learners.
“So then, that engages them to then talk about it with their parents,” Riordan said. “So now, they’re sharing their knowledge and then they’re talking about it with their friends. It just creates so much excitement and passion behind it, and that’s what I love with the kids.”
Juan Maldonado, 45, loves exposing his 8-year-old son, Daniel, to different aspects of STEM, especially robotics and electronics. Maldonado learned about Saturday’s expo through Daniel’s school, and the two made the drive down from Manahawkin in the rain to check it out.
“I always support education,” Maldonado said. “I have master’s degrees myself, so I want him to follow in my footsteps.”
Amanda Snell, of Egg Harbor Township, brought three of her four sons to the expo, her second time attending.
Three-year-old Jacob Snell was having fun over at the Lego table building his blue, white and orange dragster, a color scheme inspired by his favorite children’s show “Blippi.” Amanda, with 11-month-old Andrew in her arms, hoisted Jacob up so he could watch his racer speed down the ramp.
While Jacob was more interested in the plastic bricks, Christopher, 9, has started to show an interest in coding, Amanda said.
“Christopher was hoping their gaming room would be open (this year), but it wasn’t open,” Snell said. “Last year it was open and the kids were all playing Fortnite in there. So he went over there first thing (Saturday) and he (groaned), ‘It’s closed!’”
Near the Lego table, Ren Parikh, founder of Ideal Institute of Technology in Pleasantville, a vocational trade school for adults, was showing off some of the robotics his institute has, including NAO, an $18,000 robot that stands about 2 feet tall and has the ability to follow directions, hold conversations and complete tasks.
“We need more events and programs like this to get our kids engaged in more of a STEM programs and STEM careers,” Parikh said. “Kids are fascinated. When I see their faces, they’re surprised. ... It changes the perspective of students on their career and education. I’m super excited to be participating.”
NAO decided to show off some of its air guitar skills to 3-year-old Henry McCarthy and his mom, Stephanie Schellin. Schellin said she never expected to see something so advanced at Saturday’s expo. Henry also thought NAO was pretty cool.
Schellin’s family also got to check out the U.S. Coast Guard table and drive some smaller robots on a tablet. He older son, Leo, 7, who does an afterschool STEM class, wanted to come out Saturday.
“I’m getting a lot of info from PAL’s programs and see if he wants to do any more of those after school activities,” Schellin said, adding Leo is really interested in natural sciences as well as robotics. “It’s been hard to find a science club at his age. He wants to do chemistry and biology. We’ve been truing to find some kind of science club for him to join, and this has probably been the closest thing we’ll have to get him to join.”
Those sentiments shared by some parents Saturday is exactly why Riordan was happy to see the expo continue to grow. If it got a few more kids excited about STEM, then she was excited, too, she said.
“Anything that can help educate our kids and get them into STEM, I think, is awesome,” Riordan said, “so that they go maybe to college in a STEM field but then come home. ... We need more to offer our youth in this area, and STEM is where it’s at.”
Note: The EHT PAL is a nonprofit 501©(3) youth organization established in 1989. It relies on public contributions, sponsorships and donations, fundraising activities and grants to provide for its various programs.
Welcome to the discussion.
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.