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Wiglestown Elementary presents family-focused STEM program; students, teachers and parents describe hands-on activities
Summary
Wiglestown Elementary principal and teachers described a year-long STEM program aimed at engaging families with at-home challenges, a spring family night and a buildingwide K–5 design challenge; third-grader Sadie Eberly and her mother described how the projects build creativity and communication.
Mike Krumpka, principal of Wiglestown Elementary School, and staff described a schoolwide STEM program that emphasizes family participation and hands-on projects during the Board of School Directors meeting.
Krumpka said Wiglestown’s STEM work is driven by the school’s mission and vision and is intended to connect science, technology, engineering and math to many career pathways for students from kindergarten through 12th grade. "STEM is everywhere," he said, noting the difference between state academic standards and the broader STEM activities the school organizes.
The program is run by a staff STEM committee led by teacher Wendy Mayer and produces three enrichment activities each year. Mayer said each year the school promotes three seasonal at‑home STEM challenges, gives students three weeks to design and build projects and displays entries in the school. "Students who participate are given a thank you note and a prize each time," she said.
Mayer described recent challenges: making kites, building bridges out of candy, designing school buses and creating arcade games and mini‑golf holes that students could play. This spring’s theme, she said, centers on ocean health: kindergarten through second grade will build ocean animals from recyclable materials; grades 3–5 will prototype tools to collect plastic or clean beaches.
The presentation included family voices. Katie Eberly, mother of third‑grader Sadie Eberly, said the projects teach resourcefulness and communication: "It was fun listening to them brainstorm different ideas, work within a budget and learn how to use different tools." Third‑grader Sadie said the challenges help develop creativity and problem solving: "It's really fun to do it. I usually do it every year."
Administrators and teachers said the STEM activities aim both to teach subject skills and to strengthen family bonds by giving parents and siblings concrete opportunities to work together on creative problems.
The Board offered thanks to the presenters and congratulated Sadie for speaking without notes. No Board action was required on the presentation.
