Family STEM night popular among students and parents

For a few days more than two dozen students from Parkland Middle School have stayed after class for nearly two hours but it wasn’t because they were in trouble.

They took part in family STEM night, a program where students and parents learn about science, technology, engineering and math.

Raquel Kuker is a STEM teacher at Parkland Middle School. She promotes the education of science technology engineering and math.

“The purpose of our STEM night is to get the parents to understand what the kids are doing here in school,” Kuker said.

Despite the kids spending 8 hours in class they don’t mind spending a few extra hours in school.

“Its something fun to do,” said Maurice Aboude.

Throughout the week students have learned about aerodynamics, rockets and circuits but teachers have had help.

“I’m a test and evaluation engineer at Boeing,” said Nick Maxwell.

Maxwell and other Boeing engineers volunteer to sit down with the kids and show them the basics about rockets, planes and circuits.

Maxwell says it’s a great opportunity to teach the kids at a young age.

“It gives them a sense of direction, something that they like,” Maxwell said.

ABC-7 video shows kids enthralled and problem solving with their parents.

“It’s just the creativeness about it, they make you think about it,” Aboude said.

“It’s just nothing but positive,” Elias Rivero said.

Rivero and his son Joshua tell me they’ve enjoyed the time together.

“It’s uninterrupted quality time, there’s no cell phones,” Kuker added.

Rivero says the program can only enhance his son’s education.

“The opportunities for kids now, it’s fantastic,” Rivero said.

Kuker says attendance almost doubled in size by the second day adding they will be hosting more family STEM nights in the future and possibly at other schools.