Students from five Okaloosa County elementary schools gathered at the new Edwins Elementary STEM Lab for a FIRST Explore Festival celebrating their yearlong work in science, technology, engineering and math.
- Participants came from Edwins, Elliott Point, Longwood, Shalimar and Wright elementary schools. The festival was designed to increase STEM visibility and encourage future student participation in the field.
The Doolittle Institute STEM Outreach, the Okaloosa Public School Foundation and the Okaloosa County School District partnered for a year to organize the event, focusing the collaboration on providing enrichment opportunities to students who might not otherwise have access to STEM programs.
Throughout the school year, teams of up to 12 third-grade students worked together, many during the school day, on this year’s FIRST Explore theme of archaeology. Students applied the engineering design process as they designed, built, coded and refined solutions to real-world problems faced by archaeologists.
In addition to developing technical skills, students embraced the FIRST Core Values — Discovery, Impact, Innovation, Inclusion, Teamwork and Fun — as they learned to collaborate, problem-solve and celebrate shared successes.
Every participating team was recognized as a winner, with special awards presented in five categories:
- Core Values Award — Edwins Elementary
- Team Model Award — Shalimar Elementary
- Spirit Award — Wright Elementary
- Coding Award — Elliott Point Elementary
- Challenge Solution Award — Longwood Elementary
The festival highlighted how community partnerships and hands-on learning can inspire the next generation of STEM leaders.
