On Saturday, Feb. 6, The Langley School hosted its first-ever STEAM Fair to celebrate the school’s interdisciplinary, inquiry-based approach to learning and discovery through science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics.

More than 300 students and parents came to campus to take part in fun, interactive STEAM-based challenges such as building the tallest spaghetti tower that supported a single marshmallow, creating a lunar lander that prevented a marshmallow from bouncing out when it landed, or building foil boats that held the most plastic bears afloat. Participants used their creativity to paint works of art based on NASA images of our galaxy and used problem-solving skills to make working popsicle-stick windmills and paper airplanes that carried the most weight.

“STEAM initiatives are becoming an increasingly important part of our curriculum at Langley because they help students develop the collaborative design-thinking and problem-solving skills they will need to succeed in today’s ever-changing world,” says Assistant Head of School Kathleen Smith. “The STEAM Fair provided a great way to showcase STEAM-based activities, inspire students of all ages to create and innovate in new ways, and bring together teachers, students, and parents for a wonderful community building event.”

In addition to the hands-on activities at stations throughout Langley’s campus, the STEAM Fair also featured displays of interdisciplinary STEAM projects from each grade level and technology demonstrations using the school’s 3-D printer and other devices. In addition, Middle School students presented their sophisticated science projects which included a hover board built by a Langley seventh-grader.