Thank you to our amazing community for another successful IEEE STEM Summit! Powered by TryEngineering, the IEEE STEM Summit is a free, 3-day virtual event designed for volunteers, educators, STEM enthusiasts, and anyone involved in pre-university STEM outreach to come together and discuss all things STEM education. This year, the fourth annual event was held from 23-25 October 2024, and hosted a variety of sessions and guest speakers. If you missed the event, or would like to watch a replay of one of our amazing sessions, please enjoy our on-demand replays.
Day 1
Day 1 of the STEM Summit kicked off with a Welcome Session from Tom Coughlin, 2024 IEEE President, and Rabab Ward, Vice President, IEEE Educational Activities. The first keynote speaker, Eleftheria Kallinikou, spoke about Productive Failure, noting the importance of opportunities for students to be guided through problem-solving to promote higher self-esteem and greater skill. Past chair of the Pre-University Coordinating Committee (PECC), Lorena Garcia, moderated a global panel of IEEE members who shared their tips for inspiring young minds with STEM outreach activities. Another panel discussion featured IEEE staff members sharing the impact of partnerships on TryEngineering’s resources. Michael Geselowitz joined Stamatis Dragoumanos, PECC Chair, and IEEE staff members to discuss how IEEE is amplifying their impact with new partnerships. These partnerships have lead to new content, such as the resources from REACH, along with new TryEngineering lesson plans sponsored by Keysight and Onsemi.
Day 2
Day 2 featured several sessions from our Pre-University STEM Community, including a high school teacher from Canada, a professor from Malaysia, and a professor from India. They each had experience implementing successful STEM outreach programs, and their topics ranged from robotics, to AI, and more! Burt Dicht, PECC member, interviewed keynote speaker Barbara Morgan, a former NASA astronaut and distinguished educator. During her session, “From Classroom to Space: A Journey of Education and Exploration with Barbara Morgan,” she shared stories of her experience seeing the earth from space, and reflected on the importance of recognizing teachers’ ability to inspire their students. Day 2 concluded with a session hosted by Stamatis Dragoumanos, PECC Chair, exploring TryEngineering’s programs and products, as well as a Networking Session where participants were able to interact and speak with each other and TryEngineering staff.
Day 3
Day 3 opened with another Networking Session, to accommodate our international audience unable to attend the Day 2 session. Another session from our Pre-University STEM Community highlighted effective strategies for engaging school-aged children in STEM fields. The final keynote speaker, Stacy Klein-Gardner, presented “An Inclusive Engineering Mindset: K-12,” where she discussed the importance of an inclusive engineering mindset in K-12 classrooms, and the impact that has on undergraduate programs. At the closing ceremony, participants were treated to an exclusive unveiling of the brand-new TryEngineering.org website, featuring enhanced search functionality, partner collection pages, and an interactive global events map showcasing IEEE STEM outreach activities.
Impact
The fourth-annual IEEE STEM Summit was an incredible success, bringing together a record number of educators, volunteers, and STEM enthusiasts. The 2024 event had more than 2,500 registrations from 118 countries and over 1,000 unique live participants. Attendees shared resources and ideas to inspire each other to continue their work with school-aged children around the world. “Attending the STEM Summit is a fantastic way to immerse yourself in the latest trends and innovations in STEM fields,” said Benny Jackson J G, a first-time participant. “The diverse range of sessions led by industry experts provides invaluable insights that can spark your curiosity and broaden your understanding.”
We look forward to seeing you at the fifth annual IEEE STEM Summit in October 2025! In the meantime, enjoy our on-demand replays from the 2024 event and stay connected with our community for more exciting updates.