The LeFleur Museum District announced the Mississippi Science Fest which will be held on September 22nd and 23rd.
The event will bring together four Mississippi museums and provide children with the opportunity to learn about STEM fields.
STEM is an acronym standing for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
It aims to engage all Mississippians in a fun and interactive environment providing science education, workforce development, and a glimpse into Mississippi’s future.
“In Mississippi Alone, we have over 40,000 jobs that are available right now,” said Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves. “Well, guess what, so many of those jobs come from some area of the STEM sphere.”
The Agriculture and Forestry Museum, Children’s Museum, Museum of Natural Science, and the Sports Hall of Fame and Museum will each be a part of the science fest.
“We think that events such as Mississippi Science Fest are critical because they really foster that child centered education and that creates all kinds of downstream effects like innovative thinking, creativity, interdisciplinary thinking, and project based learning.
said UMMC TeleHealth Project Manager, Julio Cespedes. “All of these things are a part of STEM education. We believe that the future of Mississippi, the success of Mississippi lies in the education of our children and their ability to use technology in ways that we haven’t thought possible.”
STEM-themed field trips to each museum will be held on Friday, September 22nd with Apollo 13 Astronaut and Mississippi native, Fred Haise speaking during the keynote address Friday evening at the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum.
“The statement has been made that education is the passport to the future,” said Jackson Mayor, Chokwe Antar Lumumba. “Tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today and as we look at the scope of STEM jobs that are soon to be coming to our world. We see that there is an estimated 11% increase in STEM job opportunities between the period of 2015 which has passed us and 2024. We have to make certain that we encourage, inspire, and engage our young people with all of the opportunities that are presented to them.”
