BOSTON, Oct. 8, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Boston Children's Museum will celebrate STEM Week 2020 (October 19-24) with a full week of free virtual STEAM experiences and hands-on STEAM Kits distributed to local school groups. The CreatedBy e-Festival will use technology to connect local creatives with families in Boston and beyond. It is an opportunity for the creators that make Boston an international leader in innovation to share their work and inspire the next generation of visionaries to go out and change the world.
The CreatedBy e-Festival is a unique format for an inspirational show-and-tell of local creativity and brings together Boston's technology innovators, designers, educators, tinkerers, hobbyists, engineers, artists, crafters, students, and more, and introduces them to thousands of adults and children. The Museum will broadcast a series of performances, demonstrations, and talks by local creatives. The CreatedBy e-Festival is an exciting new way to connect outside the walls of the Museum and a testament to how technology can bring us all together. The Museum draws on the long tradition and history of STEAM innovation in service of children and families exploring, experimenting, and learning together. The CreatedBy e-Festival is an important part of Mass STEM Week that is specifically geared towards a younger age - older elementary school aged kids and their families.
STEM Week is an effort to boost students' interest in and awareness of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Students and educators from pre-kindergarten through high school are encouraged to take part in hands-on STEM learning during STEM Week. Boston Children's Museum will support STEM Week engagement for elementary school learners and their educators by offering virtual learning experiences every day of STEM Week.
"The CreatedBy e-Festival is a new-look showcase that embodies Boston Children's Museum's most important values - Community, Inspiration, and Innovation," said Neil Tembulkar, STEAM Project Manager. "Families can access all pre-recorded video content at their own pace and register for live events all week...for free. Furthermore, an important part of this annual event has always been inviting school groups to participate in hands-on workshops at the Museum. This year that hands-on engagement will be brought to the students. We have created exciting STEAM activity kits that feature fun, open challenges, and prompts."
The CreatedBy Festival in collaboration with Mass STEM Week and WBZ-TV/CBS Boston, as well as partners Artisan's Asylum, Brandeis Maker Lab, and New England FIRST. Artisan's Asylum will be offering a live workshop and pre-recorded technology and art demonstrations. Brandeis Maker Lab will hold a SCAPP Cam Talk and accessible phone 3d scanning and pre-recorded Virtual Reality Drone piloting and other technology demos. New England FIRST will host a live feature and pre-recorded content about local robotics teams.
Video content will include technology demonstrations, hands-on activities, show-and-tells, performances, and science features. Virtual Content will be published during Mass STEM Week for families to enjoy at their own convenience for free. There will be at least one live event per day during that week, produced by Museum partners and Museum staff. Live events will be offered by TinkerCAD, Artisan's Asylum, Brandeis Maker Lab, New England FIRST, and ModVic will offer a live tour and Q&A of his steampunk art space.
In partnership with MA STEM Week, elementary school students around Boston will be provided with virtual learning opportunities throughout the week, as well as robust hands-on STEAM Kits. The STEAM Kits have been created by Boston Children's Museum's STEAM staff, using a proven pedagogy that emphasizes process over product, and allows students to be creative and self-expressive, all while building a foundation for future STEAM learning.
What is in the STEAM Kit?
- The Materials: Assortment of bulk craft, recycled, and art materials, including (but not limited to) coloring utensils, cardboard and different types of paper, rubber bands, clips, glue, tape, pipe cleaners, and other exciting materials to be creative.
- The Approach: The Kit provides a dozen engineering, art, science, and hands-on challenges. Some examples include tower building, sink and float activities, DIY wearables, and more!
- The STEAM Kits have been prototyped, with surveys yielding positive feedback.
MathWorks and U.FUND College Investing Plan are CreatedBy e-Festival sponsors. With their support, Boston Children's Museum has been able to meaningfully engage a diverse variety of learners and community groups. Corporations interested in sponsoring the CreatedBy e-Festival should email [email protected]
The CreatedBy e-Festival will inspire anyone who likes to try new things, imagine, and create! The CreatedBy e-Festival shares the creative endeavors of local makers, artists, technologists, innovators, scientists, performers, and everyday humans that do cool things! CreatedBy e-Festival is yet more evidence that in 2020, technology can continue to connect us and allow us to share our experiences. The CreatedBy e-Festival is an opportunity for the creators that make Boston an international leader in innovation to share their work and inspire the next generation of visionaries to go out and change the world.
Free registration for live content can be found at createdbyfestival.org/liveevents/ and no registration is needed for access to free pre-recorded virtual content.
For additional information, please visit createdbyfestival.org
About Boston Children's Museum
Boston Children's Museum engages children and families in joyful discovery experiences that instill an appreciation of our world, develop foundational skills, and spark a lifelong love of learning. More information about Boston Children's Museum can be found at BostonChildrensMuseum.org. Become a fan of the Museum on Facebook
Hours and Admission
The Museum will be open Wednesday-Sunday with two set daily time slots, 10:00am - 12:30pm, and 2:00pm - 4:30pm. To reduce touchpoints and enable timed visits, all ticketing will be done online. Members must also make reservations online. There are a limited number of visits reservations available for each time slot. Adults, $18, children (1-15) and senior citizens, $18; children under 12 months and Museum members are always free.
SOURCE Boston Children's Museum
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