By Nicole Weatherholtz
Kashmir World Foundation was thrilled to be a part of the second annual Loudoun County STEM Day on Saturday October 1, 2016 at Northern Virginia Community College in Sterling, Virginia. Loudoun County STEM Day is a collaborative effort between Northern Virginia Community College, Loudoun County Public Schools, NOVA SySTEMic Solutions, and the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce. The event was free and open to the public and attracted hundreds of guests from the area. Loudoun County STEM Day is designed for students of all ages and exposes area families to opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math by featuring hands-on exhibits, workshops, music, and food in a fun and collaborative environment.
Children learning to use robots to shoot basketball at Loudoun County STEM Day
Families having fun with STEM while exploring different robotic exhibits.
Kashmir World Foundation’s exhibit gave guests of all ages the opportunity to explore drones and learn how they can be used to impact wildlife conservation efforts. During the event, Dr. Ronald Pandolfi assisted Kashmir World Foundation’s newest team member, Nicole Weatherholtz, during her first drone build. This gave many children and their parents the opportunity to see how a custom drone is built firsthand.
Dr. Ronald Pandolfi assists Nicole with her first drone build.
Families gather to learn what’s involved in building a custom drone.
Nicole shares her first drone building experience with her son, Jarek, and another young guest at Loudoun County STEM Day.
The event included many exciting exhibits including The Amazing Human Body, which gave students the chance to extract their own DNA, see how an electrocardiogram (ECG) works, and explore online and interactive anatomy models. SySTEMic Solutions provided guests with a highly interactive exhibit of VEX Robotics, 3D printing, Cyber attacks, and virtual worlds, and other hands on activities. Coding 101, designed for ages 5-12 years old, was presented by Liberty Elementary School, and gave children the opportunity to explore various coding games and apps. Another favorite exhibit among guests included SeaGlide Underwater Gliders, which was presented by Naval Surface Warfare Center at Carderock. This exhibit gave guests a chance to “fly” an Underwater Sea Glider in a miniature model basin while learning about neutral buoyancy, electrical circuits and electronic sensors.
Young guests learn about robotics at an exhibit by SySTEMic Solutions.
Guests enjoy learning about 3D printing.
Kashmir Rose Pandolfi observes an exhibit by VEX Robotics.
Kashmir World Foundation looks forward to being part of Loudoun County STEM Day in the future and sharing the many ways drones can benefit our world!
Danny Wanna, UAS Engineer at Kashmir World foundation, stops for a picture at Loudoun County STEM Day.