DETROIT – Hundreds of students from across Metro Detroit spent the day testing new technology and trying hands-on experiments at STEAM SLAM, an annual event hosted by the nonprofit CODE313.
The event, held at Huntington Place, was a collaboration among the nonprofit, the Detroit Pistons, and Motor City Cruise.
Drone basketball, robot-building and virtual reality were among the most popular activities, organizers said, part of a broader effort to close the digital divide and introduce students to STEM careers.
“We just want to spark the curiosity of kids today to show them what’s possible. What the future workforce looks like,” said Bartel Welch, executive director of CODE313.
He said seeing students engage is the reward organizers seek.
“I’m tired. I’ve been here three days setting up, but none of that matters to me at this moment,” said Welch.
The event, now in its seventh year, aims to give children a glimpse of careers in science, technology, engineering, arts and math. Hands-on workshops let students test skills they might use in future jobs.
Paula Golden, president of the Broadcom Foundation, emphasized the importance of exposure.
Golden said events like STEAM SLAM help students visualize career possibilities.
“They wake up to a whole different vision of what they can be and what they will be with programs like this in Detroit,” said Paula Golden, president of the Broadcom Foundation.
STEAM SLAM drew students from schools across the region and will return for another day of activities on Friday.
More information can be found on the official CODE313 website here.