Hundreds of Oakland Unified Students Show off their Scientific Acumen in Huge Annual STEM Fair

This year’s Annual OUSD STEM Fair was far bigger than it had been in previous years, and that was in part because it had the venue to support it. Hundreds of young scientists and engineers, families, educators, partners, and supporters flooded into the huge event space in the Oakland Coliseum known as the Treehouse. Students had their STEM projects set up in several areas around the space for all to see, and the crowd circulated through stopping to hear students explain the projects and the processes they used to bring their ideas to life.

There were hundreds of student projects from OUSD elementary, middle, and high schools on display, and dozens of local scientists, engineers, and other STEM professionals came to talk with the students and learn about the projects. The students studied such things as whether dogs or humans have more bacteria in their mouths, what music is best for helping plants grow, and what kind of insulation is best for conserving heat.

Here is a collection of videos showing students explaining their experiments, and what they learned.

Violet from Oakland Technical High School

Estrella from International Community School

Ramona from La Escuelita

Kelal and Mya from West Oakland Middle School

Coretta, Robin, and Rosie from Crocker Highlands Elementary

Isaac, Justice, Dashiell, and Nate from Oakland Technical High School

Here’s a look at the robot challenge that student teams from across the District took part in.

Many school principals and teachers were on site, as were leaders from across the District, including Superintendent Dr. Denise Saddler, who said, “This day is so inspiring. I am moved by the ingenuity and creativity that our students have shown in their pursuit of scientific knowledge. There’s such a variety of experiments and areas of study that our students engaged in from elementary to high school, that it gives me great faith in the future of science because I know these young people will be leading this work into the future. I celebrate all the participants in this year’s STEM Fair, and I thank our staff and families for their support. I look forward to an even bigger and more exciting event next year!”

There were also robotics competitions, the Oakland Soul’s Wearable Tech Competition, a Math Escape Room, and hands-on activities for families presented by dozens of local STEM institutions, including the Exploratorium and MESA at Laney College. The whole event was free to everyone, and an amazing way for students to show off their scientific skills and methods, and receive feedback from experts in real time.

Next year’s annual STEM Fair is sure to be even bigger. Many thanks go to the Oakland Roots and Oakland Soul for opening up the space for this wonderful event.