![\"Volunteer](\"http:\/\/www.daytonastateinmotion.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/STEM.jpg\")
<\/a>Photos by Michelle Cretella \/ In Motion<\/figcaption><\/figure>According to DSC math professor Lakisha Holmes, who is principle investigator of the STEM Community Scholars Program, \u201cSTEM day is a nationwide initiative trying to support children and increase their interest in science, technology, engineering and math. We are trying to do our part in giving back to the communities that need it the most.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some 60 children spent the morning rotating between six stations where local professors performed various interactive educational demonstrations. Professor Brianna Kurtz, from the School of Mathematics at DSC, ran one of the six activity stations called \u201cShuffle, Roll, Change,\u201d where she taught the concept of probability with dice and card games. \u201cMoral victory high fives\u201d were playfully distributed by Kurtz to the children who continued the game even after they had not placed for a prize.<\/p>\n
For Kurtz, \u201cSTEM day is an opportunity to get kids excited about science and math. To show them math can be fun.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kurtz believes \u201cIf we can get this many kids up on a Saturday at this hour, who knows? Maybe one day they\u2019ll be our students at Daytona State.\u201d<\/p>\n
Other stations included \u201cHow Do We Fly?\u201d led by another math professor, Robert Dwarika. Among other stations was \u201cHow to Become a Billionaire,\u201d with Embry-Riddle professors Jenny Hinebaugh and John Ledgerwood.<\/p>\n
In addition to the faculty, parent volunteers assisted in organizing this philanthropic event. One parent volunteer, Tionis Fordham explained why she chose to enroll her child in the program.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you look at where the jobs are going to be in the future, they are going to be in STEM. It\u2019s an excellent program for children to do something educational and fun, especially on a weekend. You can tell they are having a blast,\u201d said Fordham. According to Holmes, the goal of STEM day can be put into two words. \u201cEngage and expose,\u201d Holmes said, \u201cWe want to engage and expose the children to STEM as much as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Kayli Miller In Motion Staff Writer Energetic, smiling children out of bed early on a Saturday morning were eager to learn at the STEM day event in the first week of March, starting at 9 a.m. at the Dickerson Community Center near Daytona State College. Hosted by Jack and Jill Continue reading Bright futures STEM from charitable community event<\/span><\/a>
<\/figcaption><\/figure>The event gave Dwarika a chance to answer a question so frequently posed by his students. \u201cI teach math for a living and I always get asked \u2018when am I ever going to use this?\u2019\u2019\u2019 Dwarika was eager to provide answers that intrigued and entertained blossoming minds.<\/p>\n