ROME — The Project Fibonacci Foundation of Rome has announced that 20 full scholarships are immediately available to local youth 14-19 years of age on a first come, first served basis to attend the upcoming STEM plus Arts (STEAM) Youth Leadership Conference in July.
According to foundation executives, the scholarships were made available thanks to the generous support of the Griffin Charitable Foundation of Rome.
Registration closes on June 21 for those interested in attending the conference, which will take place on July 23-29. Students are urged to register as soon as possible to take advantage of the full scholarship offering while they last — and conference planners are urging online registration and to select the “Seeking Tuition Assistance” option which will automatically apply the scholarship, allowing registrants to attend the conference at no cost to them.
Registrants can contact Amy Jaworski at asingletary@projectfibonacci.org or call 315- 527-6030 for additional information and assistance with the registration process.
The scholarships cover all lodging, meals, conference/workshop materials, guest speakers, field trips/tours, transportation, security and medical services, and other amenities.
“We have been fortunate in raising enough money this year to offer full scholarships to many of our STEAM scholars thanks to the generous support of several organizations and multiple private donors in the Mohawk Valley area,” said Foundation Chairman Andrew Drozd.
Drozd also points out that STEAM scholars will receive a prestigious certificate of completion at the end of the conference that will help them in academic and job placements.
The weeklong conference will be held at multiple facilities at Griffiss Business & Technology Park including the MVCC Rome campus, Rome Free Academy, and several other locations, with lodging at the Hampton Hotel.
This year’s conference theme is, “Adapting to Climate Change: Sustaining Our Planet, its Oceans, and the Global Population.”
STEAM scholars from all over New York State and beyond will gain perspectives from inspiring leaders, advocates, scientists, innovators, and artistic thought leaders who are at the forefront of combatting the climate crisis, the announcement said.
The ESTEAMed Speaker Series, coincident with the weeklong conference, will host several keynote and guest presenters and will be open free to the public.
The speakers will include:
- ABC Good Morning America’s chief meteorologist Ginger Zee, a best-selling
author, climate activist, mental health advocate; - Robert Hazen, a scientist, mineralogist, senior lead at the Carnegie Institute’s Geophysical Laboratory, and professor emeritus of George Mason University;
- Bruce Rosenbaum of Modvic Studios in Palmer, Massachusetts will give opening talks and workshops during the week on Janusian Steampunk artistry;
- Television personality, educator, author and science presenter Robert Pflugfelder, known as “Science Bob,” will give an entertaining series of science demonstrations on the last full day of the conference. This will be preceded by “The Sounds of Molecules” by Walker Smith, called the “musical chemist,” whose work combines research, composition, science communication, and performance.
Climate-change-themed workshops are planned that will cover relevant topics on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in sustainable agriculture; quantum computing for climate change analytics and predictive modeling; novel waste management to rehabilitate landfills and our oceans; carbon capture techniques; ethical considerations in interpreting scientific data, carbon taxation, and the growing role of AI amidst the recent surge in popularity of Chat bots like CHATGPT; and other topics.
Other STEAM workshops will highlight how artistic creativity can spur technological innovation, scientific understanding, and how this strategy can help solve STEM problems and socio-technological challenges in our times such as climate change adaptation.
According to Drozd, studies bear out the importance of artistic critical thinkers in helping to solve complex STEM challenges where artistic creativity inspires technological innovation.
