By Haley Tenore

Developed by Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Education, Project STEAM embodies the spirit of learning for all ages and all stages: It aims to strengthen the skills of Richmond preschoolers, and prepare them for elementary school and beyond, by sparking interest in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.

On June 9 at Maymont, a dozen preschoolers and their families showcased their emerging talents at an exhibition. In a project dubbed Demi Dynamite, Demi Tribbey and her family highlighted the explosive combination of vinegar and baking soda, with food coloring that created a visual rainbow of chemical reaction. In other moments that were both lighter and heavier, Eishal Usman and her family used yellow balloons that doubled as toys to teach about gravity.

With the exhibition complete, the Project STEAM team will evaluate and share its findings from the six-module program, with an eye toward supporting early childhood education in the fields. The School of Education will also host a free interactive workshop for children ages 8 and under at the Richmond Main Library on July 26 at 1 p.m. At the workshop, families and children will enjoy interactive STEAM stations, lively discussions on fun themes, and take home a free “Building Our Self-STEAM” storybook (while supplies last) plus an e-book. All events are funded by the Office of Community Engagement. The team will also share the storybook at Richmond Public Library locations across Richmond in July and August.

“It’s important to have programming like this so that young children can see the value of the disciplines of STEAM, and so they can see themselves as people who might grow up and work in the STEAM fields,” said School of Education Dean Kelli Feldman, Ph.D. “When we engage young children in STEAM learning experiences along with their families, it can increase children’s interest in STEAM education.”

Project STEAM was developed by education professors Yaoying Xu, Ph.D.; Katherine Dabney, Ph.D., and Moe Greene, Ph.D. They also collaborated with Dana Yarbrough, associate director of VCU’s Partnership for People with Disabilities, to enhance the accessibility of content.

The online modules, available in English and in Spanish, were developed to accommodate busy parents in working with their preschoolers. And the first of the six modules is specific to parents: a walkthrough on how to support a child’s learning, and different strategies to teach preschoolers, provide feedback and support problem-solving.

“We like it virtual because it’s flexible to meet different schedules,” said Meagan Dayton, Project STEAM coordinator and a doctoral student in the School of Education’s Department of Counseling and Special Education.

Project STEAM also provides preschoolers with a one-year pass to the Science Museum of Virginia to further spark their curiosity. And monthly meetings allow families to come together and learn more about resources Richmond has to offer.

“Dr. Xu had started working with the Science Museum of Virginia in the beginning. The way we partnered with them was to provide memberships to the families. We’ve been trying to get families into more ‘third places’ this year,” Dayton said, referring to locations outside the home or workplace.

For Feldman, who became dean in March this year, Project STEAM has special resonance, as it intersects with her classroom and research backgrounds in mathematics and science education.

“I taught kindergarten, middle school and some high school, and early on in my career, I realized the importance of integrating the disciplines of STEAM,” she said. “That’s one of the things that is so wonderful about this program and this project for families: that it encourages our young scientists and mathematicians and engineers and technology specialists to learn about STEAM concepts in a fun way, in a playful way, and in a way that engages them in their interests.”