Rensselaer will host the 17th Black Family Technology Awareness Day on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016. The daylong STEM event is designed to expose area students and their families to educational and career opportunities in science, technology, engineering, math, (STEM) and the arts. The event is free and open to the public. The program will be held on the Rensselaer campus from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The 2016 theme will be “Innovating a Resilient World Through STEM.”
Black Family Technology Awareness Day is now under the portfolio of James Spencer, executive director of the Rensselaer Technology Park, Real Estate and New Venture Development, and acting director of the Office of Intellectual Property, Technology Transfer, and New Ventures.
Program highlights that will be held in the morning include a series of hands-on interactive workshops led by Rensselaer student organizations, faculty, staff, community members, and area businesses. In addition, the event is partnering with Ten80 Education to host a special program for high school students. The organization—based in Saratoga Springs—develops and publishes a K-12 STEM curriculum, trains educators in the art of STEM, and organizes events that motivate students to engage and learn over time.
The afternoon program will feature Rensselaer STEM Stars, a series of short TED-style talks featuring Rensselaer students, faculty, and members of the community who will share their interests, passion, experiences, advice, or lessons learned in STEM. The culminating program will highlight the Art_X @Rensselaer initiative, which has been designed to help Rensselaer students discover the art in science and technology, as well as the science and technology in art.
Individuals who are interested in hosting a 45-minute workshop for the event may submit their proposals using the online form.
Call for Volunteers Individuals who are interested in volunteering are encouraged to complete the online volunteer registration form. In supporting the event, general volunteers may be asked to assist with various aspects of event setup and breakdown, staff workshop presenter rooms, direct attendees to event locations, and more. Some individuals may also be asked to assist and support workshop presenters.
Black Family Technology Awareness Day draws nearly 1,000 students, families, educators, and members of the surrounding community to the Rensselaer campus. More information, and updates regarding event details.