Oak Hills PTA is hosting the annual science fair at Oak Hills Elementary School in Valencia and new this year, the school is introducing its first annual STEM Expo, happening from Jan. 17 to Jan. 19. Each and every student has been encouraged to participate.

STEM which stands for (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) allows our young scientists to ask exciting questions (of their choice) relating to computers, engineering and design, math, chemistry, physics or life sciences. This year, 220 Oak Hills Elementary student scientists in grades Pre-K through sixth have performed background research, executed a project and, are going to present their work in the form of a poster at our STEM Expo.

The goal of our Oak Hills Elementary STEM Expo is to encourage students to engage in scientific investigation and provide them with the opportunity to articulate their process, results and conclusions.

All posters will be evaluated by one of our wonderful judges from the community: people with backgrounds in education or the sciences who generously donate their time and expertise. Student scientists in third through sixth will also be interviewed in front of their posters. This year, the school’s entire third grade will be participating in STEM Expo as part of their classroom curriculum.

The Oak Hills Elementary STEM Expo will culminate with a family-friendly event on Thursday January 19th, 2017 in our MPR from 6pm-7:30pm. Food from Nick-N-Willy’s will be available for purchase, and the student scientists will be invited to stand in front of their posters and answer questions as friends, parents, teachers, and staff members view the posters. The evening will conclude with an Awards Ceremony announcing the top-placing projects from each grade level. These winners from sixth grade may be eligible to advance to the 2017 Los Angeles County Science and Engineering Fair held every year in Pasadena.

The advantages provided by a STEM-rich education are clear, and Oak Hills believes that engaging students in this type of critical thinking at the elementary level will lead to a bright future for the school’s young Coyote scientists.