Back row (left to right): Kellon Smith, Chief CRNA; April Spotts, Coordinator of Radiology Services; Nichole Moran, Coordinator of Cardiopulmonary Services; Melissa Siever, Director of Clinical Labs; Stephanie Ervin, Director of Radiology; Krista Mangold, Manager of Cardiopulmonary Services
Front row (left to right): Sue Wells, Senior Director of Clinic Operations; Valerie Starcher, Diabetic Educator; Kaitlyn Taylor, Director of Physical Therapy; Kerstin Grove, Pharmacy Technician
The STEM Festival Committee at WVU Medicine Potomac Valley Hospital is busily making plans for this year’s Mineral County STEM Festival. The festival aims to increase interest of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) activities and careers by producing and presenting youth focused, exciting, and educational projects. This year, the Potomac Valley Hospital committee members, made up of staff from a variety of departments hospital wide, are working together to provide nine projects for the festival. All planned projects aim to help children learn about a certain healthcare field or learn more about their health and the science behind it.
“This year, the PVH Committee has worked hard to come up with new and exciting ideas to bring to the STEM Festival,” said Christian Brooks, Senior Public Relations and Marketing Strategist. “We also wanted to help serve the mission of the STEM Festival and provide a distinctive link between our presentations and healthcare careers.”
Some departments within the hospital have created projects that relate to their specific field. The laboratory is working on a “DNA Extraction” project, in which kids will be able to extract a strand of DNA from a strawberry. The radiology department has planned an “Animal X-rays,” activity where kids can match the x-rays of animals to their skeletons. Members of our pharmacy staff will be setting up a “Medication Education” booth, where kids can learn the job functions of a pharmacist relating to preparing medications.
Other departments are leaning more towards educating about health and the science behind healthy decisions. Staff from Family Medicine clinics will be teaching kids to “Take a Load Off” by allowing them to complete tasks as they are, complete those same tasks with added weight, and compare the difference between the two. “Rethink Your Drink” allows our Diabetes Educator to educate about how much sugar is in common beverages, while allowing them to conduct a sugar based science experiment.
“We are excited to have been able to make such a presence at the Mineral County STEM Festival the last few years,” says Amy Boothe, Chief Operating Officer. “It’s an opportunity for us to become more involved in the community, but also to help children form a greater grasp and interest in STEM careers. These careers are vital to the healthcare field.”
The Mineral County STEM Network will host the 8th Annual Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Festival for area students and parents. The event will be on Saturday, March 28 from 12:00 Noon – 4:00 PM at WVU Potomac State College, Keyser Campus.
For more information on the Mineral County STEM Network visit http://mineralstem.com/ and for regular updates on the STEM Festival like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/MineralCountySTEM. If you have questions call the WVU Mineral County Extension Office at 304-788-3621.