Preschoolers get jump on learning about science, technology, engineering, math
STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics, concepts that might seem to be a bit beyond preschoolers.
But children as young as 2 had the opportunity to learn more about what makes the world function during STEM Day at Kiddie Academy in South Fayette Township.

Harry Funk/The Almanac
Harry Funk/The Almanac
Dara Ogunjobi of South Fayette Township sees how many cups she can place on a tower before it falls.
“We opened about half of our classrooms so that we could have age-specific activities,” director Jenn Roberts said. “The teachers took the ideas that the corporate office gave us, and we ordered the supplies and materials we needed. And then the teachers facilitated the activities in the classroom.”
Activities included building towers from cups and index cards, balancing items, seeing how much weight a paper boat can hold, and making creations using pretzel sticks and marshmallows. Of course, lots of bites were taken out of the treats along the way.
“It’s a nice social event for the parents, as well,” Roberts said. “With pickup and dropoff, they don’t get much time to visit with one another. So it’s nice for the families.”

Harry Funk/The Almanac
Staci Taylor watches as daughter Mia starts assembling a cup tower.
The event also aims to provide parents with ideas on how to bring STEM education into the home, according to Richard Peterson, Kiddie Academy corporate chief academic officer.
“We want local families to see for themselves all the ways in which Kiddie Academy’s Life Essentials curriculum taps into children’s natural sense of wonder and discovery as they explore the laws that govern the world around them,” he said.
Kiddie Academy, founded 40 years ago, is headquartered in Abingdon, Md., and has franchises throughout the United States. For more information, visit kiddieacademy.com.

Harry Funk/The Almanac
Harry Funk/The Almanac
Cooper Flook has been distracted by the tastiness of one of his marshmallows.