North Idaho STEM Fair Friday at NIC

| February 27, 2018 12:00 AM

The second North Idaho Science and Engineering Fair will take place Friday, March 2, at North Idaho College.

Youths from throughout the region and their mentors and family members will join the STEM Action Center and judges from a variety of STEM-related fields.

The North Idaho Science and Engineering Fair is one of three regional events the STEM Action Center hosts statewide each spring. These fairs offer students the opportunity to engage in original STEM research projects aligned with their interests and give them the opportunity to meet and learn with other motivated students in their area. The winning teams from each region will earn all-expense-paid trips to attend and compete in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Pittsburgh May 13-18.

There are 122 North Idaho students expected to present 84 projects during the event.

A free public showcase will take place from 4 to 5 p.m. followed by an awards ceremony from 5 to 6 p.m. in NIC’s Edminster Student Union Building.

The Idaho STEM Action Center was created in 2015 because Idaho citizens are not entering the STEM pipeline fast enough to meet current and future Idaho workforce needs.

Idaho is the fastest growing state in the nation and the state has the third-fastest job growth. Meanwhile, Idaho’s unfilled STEM jobs doubled in 2017 to nearly 7,000, which represents approximately $450 million in lost personal wages and $24 million in lost state tax receipts. The Idaho Department of Labor predicts as many as 36,000 STEM jobs could be unfilled by 2024 if the trend continues and would represent more than $120 million in lost state tax revenue annually.

The STEM Action Center’s goals are to coordinate and facilitate implementation of STEM programs, align education and workforce needs, and increase awareness of STEM throughout Idaho. The organization is working with industry, government, educators, and students to develop new resources and support high-quality teacher professional-development opportunities to foster a STEM-educated workforce that ensures Idaho’s continued economic prosperity.

Visit STEM.Idaho.gov for more information.