Students can become scientists for a night with a fun, hands-on, free event at this elementary school
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IDAHO FALLS — A parent-teacher organization is hoping to inspire the next generation of innovators by offering an interactive, hands-on experience that lets students become scientists for a night.
The first-ever “STEM Family Night” will take place at Discovery Elementary School in Idaho Falls. It’s on Friday, March 13, from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. for ages 6-12.
It’s a time for students to explore science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through engaging activities. The event is free to attend. There will also be free pizza, cookies, donuts, and treats.
“We have kids who like STEM, and we have others who haven’t been exposed at all to STEM. My hope is that when kids hear STEM, they don’t think, ‘Oh, math is boring.’ They hear it more like ‘STEM is fun and I can do hard things and I can do problem-solving,'” said Anyelen Bailey, coordinator for STEM Family Night and PTO member at Discovery Elementary School.
Bailey said she has a seven-year-old daughter named Allison. She wanted her to have more exposure to STEM. Bailey told EastIdahoNews.com that she was looking for different activities in eastern Idaho.
She found Family STEM Adventures at the Idaho Falls Public Library. Allison loves it. Click here to learn more about it. It sparked the idea for STEM Family Night.
“I thought, if this is fun for us, it will be fun for all the kids and her friends at school. I feel like personally, STEM is a big part of my life, and I think it changed the way I see different things in the world,” Bailey explained.
Bailey is originally from Argentina. When she was 15, she joined the science club at her high school. Then she had a professor tell her to pursue engineering. It made an impact on her life.
“I believe if we can recognize kids’ potential at an early age, they will grow with the mentality about STEM being fun and see themselves as engineers or scientists. Because you cannot be what you haven’t seen,” she said.
After graduating from high school, her mother thought she would have better opportunities in the United States. Bailey went on to study mechanical engineering and graduated from Brigham Young University Idaho in the fall of 2023.
She currently works remotely as a compliance engineer for Cummins, an engine company based in Indiana. She wants to encourage students, especially girls, to know they can both work and be a mom when they grow up.
“I feel like sometimes, when girls hear about STEM, and as they grow up, they feel like they have to choose between being a mom or a wife and having a professional career. I just wanted to show them that’s not necessarily like that,” Bailey said. “They have the opportunity to do both.”
Bailey is looking forward to the event. The STEM Family Night was made possible with the help of many community and business partners, who are listed below.
“I’m really grateful for the support from the community, all the businesses, and the teachers at Discovery Elementary,” she said.
The night is packed with excitement. There will be more than 20 stations with activities such as building a lava lamp, fossil digging, slime science, microscope magic, LEGO engines, and more. Kids can take home what they build at most stations.
Three of the stations are live demonstrations, including one that’s a chemistry demonstration led by a BYU-Idaho professor and another physics demonstration led by a physicist at the Idaho National Laboratory.
“By participating in these events, it gives (kids) the opportunity to explore different possibilities,” Bailey said.
The PTO came up with a good way to get the kids looking forward to the event, Bailey added. They held a competition in January, in which students designed the official logo for the event. A student won, and it’s been printed on cinch bags and t-shirts. Six other students were also recognized for their creative designs.
Bailey hopes the event can continue each year and inspire other schools to host STEM nights.
STEM Family Night has taken months of preparation and can accommodate 500 students. Families are encouraged to register their child by scanning the QR code below or by clicking here.
