BEAUMONT, Texas — On October 30, students from around Southeast Texas will head to Doggett Ford Park for the annual Family STEM Night.
Beaumont Independent School District and ExxonMobil are teaming up to host the annual event and if last year is any indication, it's going to be packed.
Students will get plenty of hands-on experience at STEM Night.
"What you see right here is our catapult bot. He can catapult into the basketball hoop that we have right here. And this is what we're gonna be bringing for STEM Night," said Lisa Weber, a CTE teacher at Beaumont United High School.
When BISD STEM Night organizers promise hands-on learning, they're not kidding.
"We're gonna talk about the different ways that robots are used in manufacturing and in the actual workforce itself," said Weber.
Weber is bringing the robots her students built and programmed to STEM Night,
"This particular robot, it has different features. We have the motors and we have the batteries and we have the brain which can be programmed with block coding….Python C++ or pseudo code," Weber said.
"STEM Night is gonna be designed for students of all ages. So it's important to reach students early in their education, but also ones that are in high school coming across that decision right now, with what they wanna do after they graduate," said ExxonMobil Plant Manager Josh Williams.
Williams fell in love with STEM while he was in high school. Now, he wants to create the same spark in the next generation.
"So this is for any student in the Golden Triangle area, not just BISD, regardless of the school or school district, any student is invited, bring their family and come out for the night. 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.," Williams said.
"These are some of the take-home kits that they will have the opportunity to choose from whether it be building robots. We have several different types of robots," said BISD STEM Coordinator LaChandra Cobb-Eaglin.
For Cobb-Eaglin, STEM represents opportunity.
"STEM is everywhere. Anywhere you look, there is STEM, in some type of capacity. And so we just would like for you to come out and see and experience those things with us and see why it's so important and for our future and in our now," she said.
Last year Ford Park was packed.
"And so when we say 3,000 plus, we really meant 3,000 plus," said Cobb-Eaglin.
This year, organizers expect even more.
"A big night and I just got a call that NASA will be there as well. So I'm pretty excited about that," Cobb-Eaglin said.
This is a chance to learn about the technology that will drive the careers of tomorrow.
"Society's future innovations are gonna come from students of today, so it's important that we invest in them," said Williams.
Family STEM Night is free and will take place on October 30, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Doggett Ford Park.
Everyone will need a ticket to get in including parents, guardians, community members and industry partners.
Click here to register for a spot.