STEAM on the Quad

STEAM on the Quad is a family-oriented educational program, initiated in 2016, involving K-12 youth. Participants are able to do hands-on activities that improve their knowledge and interest in the science, technology, engineering, arts and math fields. The event is a collaborative project between Ohio State – Lima and OSU Extension. The 4-H programs of Putnam, Hardin and Allen counties hosted activities that featured Bluetooth sports, circuitry, Lego zip lines, virtual reality, graphics tablets, solar panels, sculpture building, hovercrafts and sewing. Community partners included the Allen County Soil and Water Conservation District, ArtSpace/Lima, YWCA Child Care, the Neil Armstrong Museum, and the Lima YMCA Bean City Bots Robotics Team. Ohio State – Lima faculty from biology, education, engineering, geology, and theater engaged K-12 students and their families in a variety of hands-on projects, as did Ohio State law enforcement. Ohio State staff and students aided in these endeavors and in logistical support. Outcomes and Impacts: 1) Connect local families, faculty, educators, and businesses to promote STEAM education through innovation, learning, and creativity in collaboration with Ohio State. 2) Take Ohio State's current resources and equipment and create programming that reaches new audiences, while bringing local 4-H members to an Ohio State campus. 3) Create a program model that can be reproduced by Extension in Ohio and other states. Outcomes and impacts will consist of recording the attendance and partnerships created through the STEAM programming, categorized by age group, program area, and type of use. Each student will complete a retrospective pre- and post-survey to see if our key STEM metrics are met. Finally, program evaluations will illustrate usage by parents and will collect open-ended feedback about how the STEAM programming has benefited their child. Quarterly progress reports will be provided to the university.