Seventh and eighth graders from Edison and Roosevelt Intermediate Schools received up-close, hands-on experience as part of two field trips in February and early March, focusing on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM).
The 7th grade STEAM field trip ran from March 1-4 and included a stop at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee and a visit to the Hatch Show Print, a working letterpress print and design shop since 1879, where event posters are created. The students received a hands-on lesson on the ages-old practice of block printing.
The 7th graders then traveled to Huntsville, Alabama and the Marshall Space Flight Center, home of Space Camp. Students self-selected groups to participate in a multi-day space launch simulation and participated in many other activities and history lessons along the way.
One 7th grader notes that “the true highlight was meeting and speaking to a rocket scientist who worked on the Saturn V launch vehicle.”
“Watching students have the opportunity to meet and interact with top experts in STEAM fields was amazing,” says Roosevelt science teacher Andrew Bausch. “Many of these students have dreamed of such interactions. Providing them this chance was very fulfilling.”
First stop on the 8th grade field trip on February 2-5 was Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where activities included a video look at the history of space travel and a tour of the launch pad and various simulators. The 8th graders then moved on to Walt Disney World in Orlando, where the young scientists and engineers learned about the physics and design behind the popular rides.
“The students completed two behind-the-scenes tours and a full workshop,” says Edison math teacher Ryan Belline, who has organized the STEAM field trips since 2017. “One tour brought students behind the scenes at Epcot to show how some of the rides are made. The other gave us a behind-the-scenes look at the Magic Kingdom to demonstrate all that Disney does to develop certain themes. Students had to model their own park with their own theme.”
“It was really fun and I made plenty of good memories,” says one 8th grader.
“The trip was so fun,” adds an Edison student. “It was educational but in a great, hands-on way. This trip consisted of many once-in-a-lifetime experiences that I will never forget. Being with friends and being more connected with teachers was so fun. Another great thing about the trip was being with students from Roosevelt so we could get to know each other before high school.”
For more information about the parent-financed field trips and to join the email for next year’s trips, please see the 2025 STEAM Trip website.
