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National STEM Day on Nov. 8 saw three executive members of the SDSU Robotics Club at Renberg Elementary School in Sioux Falls for demonstrations.

Presentations were made to about 125 students in three age groupings.

The fourth and fifth graders took on the egg drop challenge with each team receiving an equal amount of supplies. They had to design creative solutions to protect their eggs during the drop. 

The second and third graders competed to build the tallest tower using uncooked spaghetti, mini-marshmallows and tape, testing their problem-solving and engineering skills.

For the kindergarteners and first graders, three stations were set up. At the first station, students observed how pepper in water reacts to dish soap, introducing basic scientific principles. The second station allowed them to decorate balloons and test how far they could travel when attached to a string, teaching concepts of air propulsion. The last station focused on making and testing paper airplanes, encouraging creativity and exploration of aerodynamics.

“Overall, the event was a fantastic opportunity to introduce students to STEM, promote the Robotics Club and strengthen connections with the community,” according to Hailey Gruber, president of SDSU Robotics Club. 

She was assisted by Tyler Loecker and Todd Mueller.

On Nov. 15, Sanjeev Kumar, dean of the Lohr College of Education, gave a presentation at Harrisburg High School with Suzette Burckhard, assistant dean, giving a presentation there the following week. 

The engineering college was among several university entities to take part in a STREAMMMS night/trade show at Deubrook School District Nov. 25. The event put a spotlight on science, technology, reading, engineering, art, music, movement, math and social studies.

Kumar said, “Such events allow students to explore STEM concepts in a fun and engaging way, making them more likely to develop a long-lasting interest in science, technology, engineering and math.”