The STEAM Festival at the St. Louis County Depot teaching kids

The STEAM Festival at the Depot, held a variety of activities for children from kindergarten through 5th grade. However, plenty of the activities were fun and informative for the whole family. The STEAM Festival is a new take on what many people know as Science Technology, Engineering and Math. STEAM, however, includes arts, but also music as valuable skills children can learn.

Dozens of local organizations demonstrated unique aspects of science, technology, engineering, art, along with math and music. Stacey DeRoche, the Marketing and Event Coordinator at the Depot talked about how parents can learn more about their kids’ interests during the STEAM Festival. “[Parents] might see something that they didn’t know that they’d be interested, that they didn’t know their kids would be interested in. I think people are really surprised at what really engages their kids.” DeRoche said. “They’re coming with family or caregivers, so they’re doing activities that hopefully that their parents can engage with them and maybe replicate at home or be inspired to do at home.”

DeRoche also talked about how the STEAM Festival is a great way for families to learn more about local organizations. “The other thing is they’re connecting with local organizations that can also they can go to the zoo. They can go take ballet lessons. They can do all of those things with our local awesome organizations.” DeRoche said.

One of the local organizations to talk more about the STEAM Festival was Lake Superior Zoo’s Outreach and Programs Manager, Augusta Grumdahl. “So we’re really excited to be here today and get people really excited about science.” Grumdahl said. “One of the things that people think about science is it’s always lab coats and doing something in a lab indoors, But science is also outdoors as well. So even like zookeepers do science every day at the zoo. And there’s a lot of opportunities to really research out in the field to help protect animals. You get to be out in nature as well.”

For more information about other events happening at the Depot you can look here. For other stories happening in Duluth you can look here.