Senator Kaine to Speak at K-12 STEM Symposium on March 7th in Herndon, Va.

March 4, 2015 | By Business Wire News

VIENNA, Va.

WashingtonExec, with Presenting Sponsor Leidos and Platinum Sponsor Vencore, will hold the 2015 K-12 Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Symposium for more than 2,000 children, parents, teachers and business leaders from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on March 7, 2015 at the Nysmith School in Herndon, Va.

More than 30 science and high-tech education, government and industry organizations will be represented through keynote and panel discussions, classroom breakout sessions, interactive exhibits, and top student science fair projects. Children and adults will have opportunities to conduct flight simulator competitions, participate in drone demonstrations, and engage with student robotics teams. 3D printers and heart monitoring devices will be manned by doctors from Children’s National Health System as well.

Speaker Schedule:

9:45 am, 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, will open the speaker sessions on the topic of “Industry/Government Perspective: Workforce Needs and Solutions.”

11:00 am, Dr. Evan Glazer, Principal of Thomas Jefferson High School, will give the Keynote Address titled, “The Tiger, Dolphin, and Jellyfish Parent – which one is best for STEM?” Lou Von Thaer, President of the National Security Sector at Leidos, will serve as the program’s co-Keynote Speaker.

1:00 pm, Senator Tim Kaine will kick off the afternoon program to discuss the importance of generating interest and passion for science and technology fields early on in children’s lives.

1:30 pm, Former Naval F18 Top Gun Pilot Eric Schierling of Vencore and former Astronaut Kenneth Cameron (USMC, Ret) of SAIC will speak with Pooja Chandrashekar, high school senior, on the topic of “Positive Messaging – Making STEM Cool to K-12 Kids.”

“The research shows that the earlier children are introduced to STEM, the more likely they will follow their love and passion in these subjects as time goes on,” said Ken Nysmith of the Nysmith School. “This year’s Symposium will provide resources families can use to introduce their children to STEM, giving wonderful insights into age-appropriate activities and the variety of skills applicable to STEM fields.”

In conjunction with this year’s STEM Symposium theme, “The Parent Factor: How to Engage Your Kids in STEM,” each attendee will receive access to a Parent STEM Action Plan with a vetted list of school year enrichment programs, summer camps and internship resources for students in the National Capital Region.

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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