LYNN — The Lynn Education District will sponsor a STEM fair Thursday at four separate locations in the city’s downtown area.
The fair will be held at Lynn Tech, St. Mary’s, KIPP Academy on Wheeler Street and the Lynn YMCA from 4 to 7 p.m. It is part of the Massachusetts STEM Week initiative.
Besides those four institutions, other locations will include North Shore Community College, Lynn Economic Opportunity, Salem State University, Girls Inc. of Lynn, the Boys & Girls Club, Greater Lynn Chamber of Commerce, Raw Art Works, Change is Simple and the Essex Media Group.
I think it’s pretty clear that there is a philosophical tie among all these groups,” said Dr. Patrick Tutwiler, superintendent of Lynn Public Schools last month. “And that is to use our resources and our expertise to make sure the youth of Lynn are served well, with whatever ways we can use to do that.”
STEM is an acronym that stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
The project is a unique collaborative of public and private, said St. Mary’s Head of School Dr. John Dolan, and because of that it has attracted the attention of Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, who places STEM studies as one of her educational priorities, according to Joel Abramson, owner of Flagship Travel of Marblehead and a board member of the district.
Polito will be at KIPP Wednesday to talk to the district about the project, as her schedule will not permit her to attend Thursday.
“She’s been very supportive and interested in the development of the STEM Fair concept, especially as it is inclusive of all facets of the city,” Abramson said. “She was hoping she could attend, but her scheduler said she couldn’t, so she would like to meet with the team.”
The idea for the fair took shape in June, when Polito met with Abramson and some of the district’s board members at his house.
“She was impressed with the collaborative effort in general,” he said, “and of our working together to establish some common goals. She found that unique.”
Polito would like to see whether the Lynn Education District model could work with other inner-city communities, Abramson said.
Among the presentations will be an Energy Creation Station, building wind turbines, teaching energy efficiency, drone activities, computer-aided design (CAD), 3D printing activity, and a biology/chemistry experience to solve a mystery.
Also, hands-on engineering and physics and marine science activity with Northeastern University Marine Science Center, a Fizzy Rainbow science project experiment, and how to manage a construction robot, horticulture and soil management, and building a foundation.
“More and more people and companies want to be a part of this,” Abramson said. “This is good for the city, and it shows that the (Baker) administration isn’t just all talk. (Polito) is going out of her way to get to Lynn from Worcester at 8 in the morning. It validates some of the things we are doing with this initiative.”