STEM Fair inspires Milwaukee students, going beyond text books

MILWAUKEE - Robots and hydraulic arms. Hundreds of minds were together for the first time in three years. 

The Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Fair is a place where youngsters like Jeremiah, a fourth grader at Gwen T. Jackson School in Milwaukee, can go beyond the text books.

"I love math and science," Jeremiah said.

Milwaukee Public Schools partnered with GE Healthcare for this year's fair – the first one in-person in three years.

"You just see our young people with energy walking around the room, being exposed, talking to students from other schools. This is what it's all about," said MPS Superintendent Keith Posley.

MPS Superintendent Keith Posley

"To see programs like this foster at a young age and instill that passion, to see them come up one day and maybe join GE healthcare, that for us is special," said Brian Bailey from GE Healthcare. 

SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News

The fair is an opportunity for K-12 students like 8th grader Syntrell Robinson to team up with classmates. 

"Me and my team were able to work together as a team and do this all as a team and go through the frustration and the time it took to build this project," Robinson said.

Some even walked away with trophies. 

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX6 News app for iOS or Android

The hope now is to inspire students to bring their thinking to new heights.

"They are very capable of talking about problem-solving and really saying, ‘Here's where I want to be and here's what my future holds for me.’ And advocating for themselves. We want them to be very world ready once they leave our doors," said Wendell Willis, MPS Foundation Executive Director.