Seventh-graders get STEAM education

Scranton and Riverside School District students are getting additional science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) education thanks to a partnership with the Scranton Area Community Foundation. For the next two years, the districts are hosting the Salvadori Center, a New York City math and science education organization that will deliver an eight-week curriculum focused on STEAM-related concepts. Site visits and a mentorship program are also available to students.

The foundation and its Women in Philanthropy initiative are funding and sponsoring the program, with assistance from the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation and Northeastern Pennsylvania Health Care Foundation.

The purpose of the program is to expose students to concepts in the STEAM fields that will excite them and motivate them to learn more. Some of the topics covered have been 3-D printing and computer coding, and students have explored equipment like infrared cameras, night-vision goggles and even a Humvee.