Innovation District event could be a springboard to STEM careers for hundreds of middle schoolers

Photo courtesy OKC Innovation District

Hundreds of middle school students will be in the Oklahoma City Innovation District Sept. 13-15 participating in a variety of STEM-focused activities as a part of the district’s inaugural Innovation Week program. The event is designed to spark students’ interests in STEM-related fields and expose them to career opportunities in science, technology, mathematics and engineering, particularly those found in the OKC metro.

All Innovation Week activities and simulations will be held at the OSU Hamm Institute for American Energy, which is located just east of downtown.

“The Innovation District is excited to showcase many of the top-tier STEM career opportunities Oklahoma City has to offer to our city’s next generation of innovators, as nearly a thousand middle school students from all across OKC will visit the district to gain hands-on learning from more than 15 dynamic organizations,” Innovation District President & CEO Katy Boren said in an earlier news release announcing the event.

These types of events play a critical role of raising overall STEM awareness in Oklahoma’s educational ecosystem and retaining top-tier talent in Oklahoma’s workforce, Boren said.

Students attending Innovation Week will have opportunities to participate in diverse simulation activities created by many of the district’s event partners, including a mobile health clinic bus from the OU Health Sciences Center, a mobile drone unit provided by the OSU Unmanned Systems Research Institute and an air traffic control simulator from the Federal Aviation Administration. They can also visit many of the college and career tech booths that will be set up at the venue to help them understand more fully the numerous STEM careers available to them in today’s global marketplace.

Several Oklahoma City-area public school districts are sending students to this year’s Innovation Week such as Edmond, Mid-Del, Millwood, Moore, Mustang, Oklahoma City and Yukon.

A 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to creating an ecosystem that convenes scientists, researchers, academia and industry experts to collaborate and innovate new ideas and technologies that drive entrepreneurship and economic growth, the OKC Innovation District receives support from The Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City, the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation and OU Health, along with many of its Partnership Program members.

To learn more about Innovation Week and the Oklahoma Innovation District, visit okcinnovation.com.