Get Ready to Explore STEM, March 14

Federal Way Public Schools’ STEM Exploration Night is on Thursday, March 14 

There are over 140 ways for students in grades PreK-12 to explore STEM. 

Federal Way, Wash. — Federal Way Public Schools (FWPS) is hosting the seventh annual STEM Exploration Night on Thursday, March 14, 2024, from 6-8 p.m. at Federal Way High School. All FWPS PreK-12th grade students and their families are invited to attend this fun in-person event to explore STEM through the various attractions included in the evening’s line-up.  

This year’s event will be the largest in STEM Exploration Night history, with over 120 STEM partner and school booths featuring hands-on activities, demonstrations, and information to learn about STEM-related college and career pathways. Additional featured events include FWPS robotics team and Sphero demonstrations, a panel discussion, a STEM film festival, featured CTE experiences, and workshops to practice artificial intelligence prompts, coding, construction skills, and more.  

There have also been a few improvements to the event. Experiences reflect scholars' interests to provide a more meaningful experience. Additionally, attendees can access an interactive online event program, making navigating the event in real-time easier. There is a dedicated seated eating area, and a helpdesk was added to assist families during the event.  

STEM-related jobs represent most of the region’s job demand. At STEM Exploration Night, scholars of all ages will find tangible ways to explore STEM in FWPS and beyond in college and careers. By learning about STEM opportunities now, scholars can build the STEM skills and competencies required to take advantage of high-demand, high-wage careers as a software engineer, ecologist, animation artist, biochemist, military officer, aircraft mechanic, and more. 

“We’ve been doing a lot of work behind the scenes to ramp up our STEM offerings in the district, and I think this year’s event will reflect the STEM learning happening at our schools, as well as the STEM opportunities available to our scholars here in FWPS and beyond.” shares FWPS Superintendent Dr. Dani Pfeiffer. “Washington state continues to be a hub for STEM jobs, and we’ve seen how resilient STEM jobs are across industries. Our goal for STEM Exploration Night is for every scholar to embark on a unique STEM journey, starting in elementary, through high school, and into college and careers. There are too many opportunities for our students to take advantage of, and we must do our part to ensure they are equipped to pursue STEM pathways towards a bright future.”   

STEM Exploration Night has been an annual district-wide event with high participation since 2017. Scholars who attend will receive a SWAG bag and can collect SWAG from partners throughout the night. The top two elementary schools and the top middle and high schools with the highest attendance will also receive a school-wide prize. Free bus shuttle service, interpreters, and food are provided. 

This year’s STEM Exploration Night is proudly sponsored by BNBuilders, FORMA Construction, Highline College, Sound Transit, Alaska Airlines, INTEGRUS, Lakehaven Water and Sewer District, and South King Fire. 

More information, including event schedule and map, and transportation information is available at www.fwps.org/STEMNight.