This Saturday, Nov. 8, is National STEM-STEAM Day, a chance for school communities to celebrate and promote science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics.  

While Kansas educators are always finding avenues to integrate STEM and STEAM subjects into their curriculum and other school-based activities, Lyndon USD 421 and Nemaha Central 115 are two examples of districts that have found unique ways to promote these important subject areas with younger students. 

Allison Smith, principal of Lyndon Elementary/Middle School, Lyndon USD 421, said the best way students learn is “by doing.” With that in mind, the school community raised funds to bring a mobile STEAM museum to the district in late October. She said some of her students’ favorite stations included robots, virtual reality headsets, a 3D printer, and a lesson in architecture with a large foam arch.   

“Students need to see the relevance in what they are learning, plus the need for critical thinking is something that always can be worked on,” Smith said. “The amount of engagement and discussions that came of this event were simply amazing.” 

Smith said what made the event special was parents and other community volunteers worked at the stations and helped her students make connections between the station’s activity and the intended lesson.   

“Students were learning and thinking critically without even realizing all of the learning that they were doing,” she said. “They were the ones asking the questions and finding the answers which was so cool.”   

Lyndon USD 421 has been dedicated to promoting the STEAM subjects in new ways, having brought a mobile planetarium to Lyndon last year, Smith said, which prompted bringing the STEAM museum to the district this year. 

“I think that STEAM is a huge part of the future of education,” she said. “Students need to be able to experience it in more ways than just a textbook.”   

Middle school students in Nemaha Central USD 115 have excelled in STEM subjects as winners in the 2025 state and national KidWind competitions. 

These contests, sponsored on the state level by the Kansas Energy Program, allow middle and high school students to use engineering concepts to design and create small wind turbines to then compete against their peers in several categories. In May, three students on the Nemaha Central Middle School’s WINders team, took first place in the energy efficiency and sustainability category at the national KidWind competition in Phoenix, Arizona. 

“I love that the kids can think through problems such as calculating gear ratios and taking data on how that might affect energy output,” said Karla Kramer, K-12 gifted teacher for USD 115 and sponsor of the district’s KidWind program. “They learn scientific concepts through real-world experiences.”  

Kramer said KidWind promotes STEM subjects by encouraging students to “experiment, fail, and improve through multiple prototype cycles” of their turbines.  

“They’re able to connect STEM learning directly to global issues like climate change and clean energy, and learn all about how wind energy is produced,” she said, adding the KidWind competitions “immerse students in the process of being scientists and engineers, using renewable energy as a motivating, real-world context.” 

Kramer said STEM subjects are important to promote because they “teach students how to think critically, analyze information, and find creative solutions to real-world problems.” 

“I think we are only hitting the tip of the iceberg with advancements in technology in our ever-changing world,” she said. “As technology and industries change quickly, a strong STEM foundation helps students stay flexible and keep learning throughout their lives.”