The University of North Texas (UNT) recently welcomed over 100 seventh-graders from Kennemer Middle School’s STEAM Academy for a STEM-centered field day, aiming to inspire the next generation of engineers and scientists. Organized by Queshonda Kudaisi, assistant professor of mathematics education, the event featured participation from UNT’s College of Education, College of Science, College of Information, and the University Libraries.
During the event, students participated in a welcome ceremony before engaging in various educational activities across the campus. These activities included robotics demonstrations and a 3D-printing lab tour at Willis Library’s Spark Makerspace, along with music creation using motion at the Music Library’s Soundbox. Students also learned about the history of recording technology.
A highlight for the students was a campus tour that included a mock residential hall dorm room and a Q&A session with professors from diverse departments such as Chemistry, Learning Technologies, Teacher Education and Administration, and Educational Psychology. “The trip was really fun. It was interesting to get out of school and explore things that we’ve never experienced before,” shared Naomi, a seventh-grader.
Teachers noted the students’ enthusiasm throughout the day, including Kaelon McLemore from STEAM Academy who said, “They were able to really see the overall arc of what it takes to go to college.”
Kudaisi highlighted the importance of such interactions, stating, “It is very rewarding to provide these opportunities to middle-school students,” and expressed hopes for students to connect their current studies with future careers in STEM.
Building on the success of the event, plans are underway to host a STEM camp in the summer of 2026, where participating students will be offered a tuition waiver. More than half of the students have already shown interest, and there are plans to extend the program to include elementary school students in the future.