Conner Vlietstra, right, makes bubbles using a giant bubble making machine operated by Ellie Betts at last year's event.The second annual STEM Jubilee - the primary fundraiser for STEM School Chattanooga, a Hamilton County public high school focused on science, technology, engineering and math - is set for Sunday, April 17 from noon to 5 p.m. The event is being held at Finley Stadium on the final day of the 4 Bridges Art Festival.
Organized by the STEM School Parent Leadership Team, the STEM Jubilee is free and open to the community.
This year, several community organizations - including the Creative Discovery Museum, Boy Scouts of America and Chattanooga Public Library - are partnering with STEM School for the event.
"We wanted to involve as many organizations as possible that involve STEM, because we want kids to know that STEM is not just coding and making robots," said event chairwoman Cameille Vlietstra.
This year's jubilee is not only a fundraiser for STEM School, but for any elementary or middle school in Hamilton County which has students in attendance at the event. Whenever a student purchases a booth activity ticket at the event, his or her school will receive 50 percent of the proceeds from that ticket, Vlietstra said.
"We thought that would be a great way to spread the STEM platform out," she said. "For coming out and supporting us, we want to support them."
The county's elementary and middle schools are also the schools from which STEM School, a magnet school that grants admission to students from Hamilton County Schools through a lottery system, draws its students.
Activities will range from air rocket skee ball and lava lamp-making, to a drone station and a Lego build.
In an effort to get more students interested in STEM, another purpose of the event is to expose students to some of the wide range of occupations that involve those particular fields and skills.
"There are so many opportunities for kids educated in these disciplines," Vlietstra said. "We're hoping this might really pique a kid's interest."
The family-oriented event also features activities for younger children, including a bouncy house and science fiction themed face painting, as well as food and ice cream available at low prices.