Shawnee Middle School STEM Day 2022

by Erica Schmiedebusch, Shawnee Middle School Correspondent

● Chuck Mulholland (Rhodes State College, Respiratory Therapy Program)

● Dr. Marin Harbur (Land O’ Lakes & Iowa State University)

● Dr. Brian Dietz (Premier Vision)

● Chad Massie, Nate Ankerman, Danielle Banks & Ann Best (Rhodes State College, Emergency Medical Services Program)

Shawnee Middle School hosted its fourth annual Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) Day on Thursday, December 15, 2022. Area STEM professionals facilitated eight handson sessions for 7th and 8th graders. Students attended two sessions during their normally scheduled math and science periods. The professionals listed below spent the day presenting about their career fields:

● Dr. Rachel Dietz (Sam’s Club & WalMart Pharmacy)

● Sam Schroeder, Josie Schmidt, David Pauff, James Smith & Joyce Davis (Lima Memorial Health System, Lab Services)

● Rob White, Justin Niese, Logan Balbaugh, Greg Ditto, Sara Morissey & Caleb Newland (ODOT)

● Amy Banner (Johnny Appleseed Metropolitan Park District)

Shawnee Middle School is extremely grateful for the time that the professionals gave that day as well as the effort they put into preparing engaging experiences for the students. As you walked down the halls, you saw students wearing lab coats, looking into microscopes, experiencing a variety of situations through VR goggles, holding animals and much more. In the civil engineering session, ODOT engineers gave students the opportunity to test out Trimble surveying equipment and see how it is utilized daily. The augmented reality topography sand table also made its way into the classroom which offered students a 3D, interactive tool to understand topography, natural hazards, and mapping.

Lima Memorial Health System’s Lab Services staff showed students how to examine white blood cells in a blood smear. The Rhodes Mobile Lab was on site equipped with 3D technology allowing students to see what actually happens during a heart attack. Students learned about eye health, disorders, and development. It’s vital to the local economy and beyond for students to begin making connections to career options. Many students do not realize that careers in some of these fields exist in the Lima area. Thank you to all who made this event possible!