VIENNA, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WashingtonExec, with Presenting Sponsor Leidos and more than 30 key organizations representing education, government and industry, will hold the 2015 K-12 Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Symposium from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 7, 2015 at the Nysmith School in Herndon, Va. The event expects over 2,500 attendees.
Every parent or guardian can be a driving force in a child’s curiosity in the STEM fields. This year’s theme, The Parent Factor: How to Engage Your Kids in STEM, is aimed to help parents encourage their children to pursue a STEM-related field of study, but who may not know what resources are readily available. Each attendee will receive a Parent STEM Action Plan with a vetted list of programs and tips about how to introduce STEM to children.
Dr. Evan Glazer, Principal of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology and the program’s co-Keynote Speaker, will discuss how parents can best spark their children’s interest in science and technology at the elementary, middle and high school levels. Lou Von Thaer, President of the National Security Sector at Leidos, will also serve as the program’s co-Keynote Speaker.
Notable panelists include Michele Weslander-Quaid, Global Cloud Ecosystem Community Lead at Google, Dr. Ann Carbonell, Senior Executive at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and Rob Zitz, Senior Vice President and Chief Systems Architect at Leidos. Pooja Chandrashekar, high school senior and semifinalist for the 2015 Intel Science Talent Search, is also scheduled to speak.
Exhibitors include the Children’s Science Center, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Boy Scouts of America, Women in Technology, George Mason University, Booz Allen Hamilton, Leidos, Vencore and local student science fair winners, among others. There will be hands-on children activities such as robotics, interactive workshops and physics experiments.
“We’re very excited to continue our sponsorship and participation in the K-12 STEM Symposium, and I’m honored to be invited as co-Keynote Speaker,” said Von Thaer. “This is a fun and interactive event that engages young minds in all aspects of STEM. Encouraging students to pursue an education and career in STEM is critical to building the future workforce.”
“As parents, we always want the best for our children,” said WashingtonExec Founder and CEO JD Kathuria. "We hope to be helpful not only to those parents who are well-versed in the STEM industry, but particularly to the parents who want to get their child involved, but don’t know where to start.”
This event is open to the public and credentialed media. Advance registration is required. For additional information, go to www.stemsymposium.com.
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