STEAM Day opens world of career, academic possibilities in UW-Stout’s labs, studios

The Menomonie High School sophomore class glimpsed the possibilities open in STEAM careers - science, technology, engineering, art and math - during hands-on workshops at UW-Stout recently.

The 225 students broke into small groups and attended workshops led by faculty and instructional staff, including activities in anatomy, automation, psychology, physics, proteins, thermodynamics, natural history, the biology and behavior of honeybees, testing water and food quality, nonfiction comics, packaging, construction, design and more.

"Each workshop was designed to inspire curiosity and highlight UW-Stout's unique polytechnic focus, blending creativity with practical, applied skills. This inaugural event offered students an authentic glimpse into STEAM disciplines, illustrating their relevance to future careers and academic opportunities," said biology Lecturer Tiffany Hoage, College of STEMMproject coordinator.

The field trip on Nov. 8 aligned with National STEAM Day. STEAM Day is a part of Menomonie High School's Academic and Career Planning process, which encourages students to investigate a variety of potential career pathways, said Principal Casey Drake.

"UW-Stout has been very willing to work with our vision of what the STEAM Day structure could be so that the students experience a dynamic and hands-on set of activities. We believe having a full understanding of potential next steps is critical," Drake said. "We appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with UW-Stout. We have the same goal of providing outstanding learning experiences for our area's youth and encouraging them to think about their post-secondary options."

UW-Stout also offers summer STEAM camp experiencesfor middle and high school students to discover career paths in science, technology, engineering, and art and design, while nurturing creativity and critical thinking skills through lab workshops led by faculty and university students.

The Body Electric

Students learned how muscles, nerves and the heart use electricity to send signals throughout the body in the Body Electric workshop.

Led by Dr. Alex Hall and biology Lecturer Shelby Saenger in the university's Cadaver Labin Jarvis Hall Science Wing, students saw how this happens at the cellular level and then tested the process on their own bodies using a simple electrode and software system.

"They got to see their own body electricity at work and how the 'wiring' for our bodies is set up," Hall explained. "They saw the electrical impulses from their muscle contractions and heartbeats - like in an EKG - and timed the nerve signaling to their muscles in reaction to a stimulus."

Students saw a brain, spinal cord and nerves from one of the lab's body donors to observe sensory versus motor neuron axons coming into and out of the spinal cord. They saw a heart with a pacemaker attached, used when a patient's own cardiac electrical system isn't working properly.

"We hope that the students were able to see that the things they learn about in school have direct connections to how even their own bodies function, as well as to learn that our body systems are amazing," Hall said.

"The key to learning is to always stay curious. There are so many incredible things at work in our bodies and our world," she added.

Testing of Food and Water Quality

Students in a food science lab in Heritage Hall engaged in a Testing of Food and Water Quality experiment. They tested tap water, fountain water and environment samples using rapid, ready-to-use, low-cost test kits for the detection of indicator microorganisms, such as coliform or E. coli pathogens, in water and food.

"I believe we keep young students curious to learn more if we provide them with hands-on, engaging activities and experiments that allow them to explore concepts directly, ask questions, and discover answers through trial and error, while connecting scientific concepts to real-world application," said food science and technology Program Director Taejo Kim.

Kim provided students with easy, step-by-step manuals to walk them through the rapid test kit process and techniques, explaining the principles of the test, its benefits, sensitivity and specificity, safety and precautions.

The manuals also helped them understand the chemical and biological principles of the test kits and how research in rapid testing techniques is important to ensure food quality and safety in the food industry.

A Look at Automation

Across campus in Fryklund Hall's Motion, Controls and Instrumentation Engineering Lab, engineering technology Program Director Mike Miller helped students to understand what automation is, how circuits are set up and how devices interact with each other.

"Overall, what makes things operate," Miller said.

Equipment in the lab includes controls trainers, hydraulics trainers, power electronic trainers and Rockwell digital twin software.

Students first learned the function of each trainer and then hooked up their own circuits to watch its operations.

"If you like to build, fix, or simply understand things, engineering is a field to consider," Miller said.

More than 65 UW-Stout faculty, staff and students were involved in STEAM Day. It was organized by Hoage and Drake, Senior Admissions Counselor Jeanie Albricht, College of Arts and Human SciencesAssociate Dean Jennifer Astwood, Educational Pathways and Outreach, and MHS counselors Kayla Hundt and Lee Vang.

UW-Stout and Menomonie High School also collaborate on Direct Admit, the Early College Credit program, the transcription of high school courses for dual credit, and providing students with leadership opportunities in conjunction with the Menomonie Area Chamber of Commerce and in the community.

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