TIFFIN, Ohio — Students in Seneca County got a lesson Tuesday in using STEAM -- science, technology, engineering, art and math -- concepts in their everyday lives.
And the special guest speaker was a familiar face for fans of the show Mythbusters.
Tuesday morning the Ritz Theater in Tiffin was packed with area fifth-through-eighth-grade students.
They were learning how STEAM saves the world from guest speakers Kari Byron, from Mythbusters, and Jenny Buccos, a long-time educational television producer.
"Kids are incredible, they have so much more power than they realize they have. They're creative, they are intelligent, and they care. And kids can make a real difference in the world, so I love talking to kids," Byron said.
Byron and Buccos co-founded Explr Media, and have been producing content for the Explr app streaming service.
Their goal is to engage students to implement their understanding of science, technology, engineering, art, and math to solve any problem they could come across, even at a young age.
"Educational videos that are both inspiring and make you think about things. Which is what Mythbusters always did, and I want to carry that on into the future. And that's why I do what I do," Byron said.
Explr also offers a classroom version with extra material for teachers.
Buccos said it's important to instill a strong understanding of the scientific method in kids at an early age so they can rely on that problem-solving skill later in life.
"About 70 percent of jobs that this age group will have don't exist yet. So, what we need to do is make sure that kids are creative, resilient, and can problem solve no matter what situation we put them in," Buccos said.
Byron said hopes Tuesday's audience heads home with a better appreciation of how to view STEAM in their everyday lives. She also hopes that parents continue to feed their kids' curiosity after school.
"So, if you want to do kitchen experiments and get really excited about science, they'll get really excited about science. They are right there with you and you are the front line, the role model. So anything you really love, they're going to love. You want them to love football? You love football. You want them to love science? You love science," Byron said.
Students who attended Tuesday's event all received a free subscription to the Explr Media service.
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