Golden Apple: St. Francis Catholic School Hosts Family Science Night of Fun

An after-school program put on by St. Francis of the Lakes School in Brainerd provides students and their families with a meal, along a chance to create and learn about STEM concepts. Kids are given a challenge on how technology, science, and math can work together.

STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, the Arts, Mathematics) incorporates STEM concepts and was started by St. Francis to engage parents on what is being taught in the classroom. Every event is different and has a specific technology theme in mind.

One recent challenge was themed around the 12 Days of Christmas and was set on a mini golf course in the gym. As both an adventure and a challenge, parents and students guided a robotic sphere ball into 12 different holes using STREAM concepts.

Each ball could be programmed in three different ways – it could be set up for them to draw through a maze, program it through block coding, or driven and maneuvered like you would drive a car.

While learning math, science, and technology throughout each student’s classes, St. Francis hopes this will help spark another interest in them.

St. Francis of the Lakes Catholic School principal shared, “Working together with their siblings and things like that, hopefully that’ll spur that interest in finding careers that revolve with STREAM education.”

St. Francis of the Lakes’ next event is called Science of Sweets, which will be held in February.