This weekend, Guthrie County Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will be hosting their second annual STEM Fest. The Saturday event encouraging youth to explore careers in science, technology, engineering, and math will be held at Coon Rapids-Bayard Junior Senior High School from 1-3pm. Over thirty businesses and organizations will be on hand to facilitate demonstrations and answer questions about their fields of expertise.

Extension Youth and 4-H Coordinator Mollie Clark talks about the importance of STEM programs in the county. “STEM is a big push in the schools, and I think parents get overwhelmed with what all STEM entails. This is a good way to see how STEM is involved in our everyday lives and help kids make that connection. Also, for kids to get to understand that STEM is involved in a lot of careers.”

Last year 230 people attended the first annual event in Guthrie Center. There is no set schedule, so participants can come and go as they please. Raccoon Valley Radio is one of the businesses that will be in attendance. We will be showing attendees how we set up our live broadcasts. The event is open to all ages and several door prizes will be given away.