Gov. Parson Kicks Off Middle School STEAM Event at UCM

By Jeff Murphy, March 25, 2019

WARRENSBURG, MO – Hundreds of students and their sponsors from throughout Central Missouri and the Kansas City region heard guest remarks by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson when he spoke during the Middle School STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) event Monday, March 25 at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg.

The purpose of the STEAM event was to provide STEAM-related experiences and opportunities for middle school students, although STEAM covers many more grade levels. Students attending the event had the opportunity to engage in many hands-on activities in STEAM areas, designed and facilitated by instructors from UCM as well as business and industry representatives and leaders.

Gov. Parson was the keynote speaker for the morning session in the ballroom of the Elliott Student Union. In the afternoon, students heard from guest speaker Melissa Tebbenkamp, director of instructional technology for Raytown School District in Raytown, Mo. Tebbenkamp received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and master’s degree in educational technology from UCM. She also is a recipient of the Outstanding Recent Alumni Award, recognizing an individual within 10 years after graduation from UCM.

After being introduced by UCM President Roger Best, Gov. Parson spoke about advances in technology and how quickly the world is changing. He cited the smartphone, developed about a decade ago, as a good example of how quickly technology moves and how it impacts the world.

“I read an article a couple of weeks ago that says that for a young man or young girl starting kindergarten today, the job they will be working in has not been developed at this time,” Parson said.

“Can you imagine how much change there is going to be in our country, and how much you are going to be a part of that change, and what is the next generation going to do for you,” he asked the group in the ballroom of the Elliott Student Union.

The governor stressed the value of a post-secondary education saying students attending the STEAM event are rapidly approaching the time when a high school diploma is not enough for a job. Jobs of tomorrow will require some sort of post-secondary education to meet the demands of the world and this nation, according to Parson.  He emphasized the importance of educational opportunities such as STEAM to make students aware of the job possibilities that are waiting for them, adding that Missouri currently has about 10,000 technology-related jobs that it cannot fill with qualified personnel.

“This means you are going to fill some of those positions in the future,” Parson said. He pointed out that it doesn’t matter if a student is from a rural or urban part of the state, those jobs are going to be waiting for those who embrace the training they need to prepare for them.

The governor told students to not only take advantage of an education that will give them skills in high-demand STEAM areas, but also to consider the importance of setting a good example for  younger students to emulate.

“Somebody looks at everyone of you in this room. Someone looks to you as an example. How you lead, what you show, what you represent, and how you conduct yourself will truly make our state better,” Parson said.

Parson said as governor he hopes to equip students with tools they need to be successful as they prepare for STEAM-related careers.

“The only way I got to be up here today is because of what people did before me,” Parson said. ”It’s what teachers did, my parents did, and all the way back to my forefathers. You’re here today because of what people have done for you. You’re not very far from being the next generation to say ‘What are you going to do?’”
 
There are nine Regional Professional Development Centers (RPDC) throughout Missouri and the STEAM event at UCM is the result of a partnership between the university, the Central RPDC, which covers the west central regional of the state; Kansas City RPDC; and the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Demand for the STEAM event, held at Missouri University of Science and Technology in 2016, and at both UCM and Washington University in 2017, has expanded. The result is this event being attended by over 474 middle school students and 73 chaperones representing counselors, STEAM teachers, administrators, and others from 29 schools in the west central and Kansas City regions.

STEAM coursework and programs are actually for all students in pre-kindergarten, elementary, middle, high school, and college, however, this event is only focusing on middle school seventh and eighth graders, according to or Bart Washer, professor and chair of the School of Professional Education and Leadership in the College of Education.

The STEM Education Coalition validates the importance of STEAM events for middle school students. Research indicates that STEAM events engaging students between the ages of 10 and 14 influences them to enter a STEAM career field.

STEAM integrates science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics in an interdisciplinary approach that is coupled with hands-on, problem-based learning. STEAM education is a way to teach how all things relate to each other, in school and in life. It takes a fun approach to learning based on ways that students naturally learn about things that are of interest to them.

The event at UCM included a number of fun exhibits and demonstrations that involved participants from across the state.

To learn more about the STEAM event, contact Washer at bwasher@ucmo.edu or 660-543-4580, or Rachel Clements, office professional in the School of Professional Education and Leadership in the College of Education who serves as STEAM conference manager, at clements@ucmo.edu.