The Education Foundation of Sarasota County has a longstanding tradition of supporting Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education to help students build key skills relevant to today’s and tomorrow’s demands.

In-depth exposure to STEM disciplines introduces students to potential careers, opens the door for a multitude of future opportunities, and enhances students’ understanding of how the world works.The Education Foundation supports STEM-focused education through various activities and events, including two in late January.

The STEMSmart Student Summit, held Jan. 24 from 8 am to noon at Suncoast Technical College’s Sarasota campus, is an exciting project-based one-day competition primarily for high schools. Students collaborate in competitive teams to propose STEM-based solutions for real-world situations. STEM areas emphasized include health care, web design, publishing, 3D design, spreadsheet applications and general mathematics.

The Education Foundation provides funding and judges for the event. STEMSmart Summit highlights will be featured on the Education Foundation’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/EducationFdn and in local media.

The Education Foundation also funds elementary and middle school students’ participation in the STEM Fair, which is run by Sarasota County Schools district. This year’s fair will be held Jan. 30 and 31 from 8am to 4pm at Robarts Arena. 

The STEM Fair provides students with the opportunity to conduct research on their chosen topic and present their findings to judges. No previous STEM experience is necessary for STEM Fair judges, and training is provided by the district. Interested volunteers may register below.

Register to Volunteer.