Milwaukee City Wire

The 17th annual MPS STEM Fair was a hub of innovation and creativity, with students presenting nearly 300 projects that ranged from scientific experiments to sustainable model cities. The event took place at the Baird Center downtown, where students demonstrated their understanding of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) through various projects.

Among the participants were Fayth Henry and Victoria Hicks, second graders at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School. They presented an experiment titled “Getting Down with Density,” demonstrating how different liquids layer instead of mixing due to varying densities. Jencarlos Rito Martinez, a seventh grader from Doerfler School, conducted an experiment on whether the amount and type of ice affect fog production.

This year's fair saw an infusion of arts into the event, including pendulum and spinner paintings and Makey Makey music machines that use various conductors to create music circuits. According to Rebecca Nowak Gimenez, MPS science instructional coach, next year's goal is to transition from STEM to STEAM by integrating more art into student projects.

The STEM Fair was made possible with support from GE HealthCare, whose representatives were among the 127 judges in the competition alongside MPS staff and retired educators.

The winners of the 2024 MPS STEM Fair included students from Gaenslen School for K-2 Science; Westside Academy for Grades 3-5 Science; Golda Meir for Grades 6-8 Science; Reagan College Preparatory High School for High School Science; South Division High School for High School Research; Academia de Lenguaje y Bellas Artes (ALBA) for K-2 Engineering; Riley Dual Language Montessori School for Grades 3-5 Engineering; Cooper Elementary for Grades 6-8 Engineering; Reagan High School for High School Engineering.

Special awards were also given out during the event. The Tomorrow’s SHEroes award, which recognizes and encourages female innovation in STEM, was awarded to Hope Lunzala Nambusi, a seventh grader at Hartford University School. The Zoological Society Passion Prize was given to fourth graders Jaleeyah Bridges and Amiyah Virginia from Elm Creative Arts School for their enthusiasm for their project. Lastly, the 2024 STEM Fair button design contest for students in grades 6 to 12 was won by Miles Schleicher, a seventh grader at Burdick School.