Junior Achievement of Central Florida recently partnered with Florida Citrus Sports to host a “STEM Day” Career Fair, geared towards middle school students who come from low socioeconomic backgrounds.
During the event, more than 100 students interacted with local business leaders from the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. Students also had the opportunity to participate in hands-on activities such as examining the engine of a hybrid vehicle and creating a mini hovercraft using a balloon and compact disc.
According to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economics and Statistics Administration (ESA), careers in the STEM fields are projected to grow by 17 percent from 2008 to 2018, compared to 9.8 percent growth for non-STEM occupations.
“It was nice that so many people came to open our minds to different career paths,” said 13-year-old Edward Do. “This was an amazing day at camp for me.”
Participating companies included:
- Adventist University of Health Sciences
- Headquarter Hyundai
- Microsoft
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
- Naval Air Warfare Center-Training Systems Division (NAVAIR)
- Rural/Metro Ambulance of Central Florida
- Siemens Energy, Inc.
