Rome, NY – The Project Fibonacci® Foundation has begun accepting nominations for the 6th Annual STEM + Arts (STEAM) Leadership Conference scheduled for August 4-10, 2024 at Griffiss Business & Technology Park in Rome. The 2024 conference theme is “Artificial Intelligence, the Smart Machine, and the Human Factor.”
Teachers, family members, mentors, community leaders, and business owners are encouraged to nominate students and young adults who are in high school, planning to attend college during the 2024-2025 term, or who are pursuing vocational trade careers.
Registration will officially open in the spring and announcements will be made during the mid-March timeframe. The foundation is amidst a scholarship fundraising campaign to offer full or partial stipends to cover tuitions primarily for disadvantaged or underrepresented youth who wish to attend.
At the 2023 STEAM Leadership Conference, 100% of the STEAM Scholars had their tuitions fully covered through the generosity of local businesses, organizations, and participating school districts. The covered tuitions largely represent a reinvestment of donor funds back into the local economy for goods and services provided on behalf of the conference.
The foundation is also launching its 2024 Corporate Adopt-a-Scholar Campaign in February to encourage local companies and organizations to sponsor at least one student typically 14-19 years of age who is a relative of an employee, a high school intern, or who is participating in an apprenticeship program at the company. Last year’s area winners, in a three-way tie, were Business Machines & Equipment Company, D’Arcangelo & Company, LLP and Worthington Industries.
Conference attendance will again be limited to approximately 100 high school students and young adults. Thus far about 35 nominations have been received, mostly from returning students.
The STEAM Leadership Conference brings together high school students and young adults, including teachers, business leaders, and a considerable volunteer corps for one week to collaboratively address a specific socio-technological problem such as artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on society. During the weeklong event, the talents and skill sets of the participants across multidisciplinary STEM + Arts subjects are put to the test enabling both artistic and scientific critical thinkers to emerge and combine forces to address hard STEM issues. Dr. Andrew Drozd, foundation chair states, “We use the arts to grow the STEM workforce and it’s conceivable that artists, scientists and technologists can team together to solve STEM problems in a unique way and further cultivate their individual STEM interests.”
The conference consists of hands-on workshops, lectures by local STEM professionals and celebrity keynote speakers, off-site tours, and social activities. The weeklong experience helps students build interest in STEM and apply their skills, including the soft skills associated with being a good communicator, leader, team player, effectively managing setbacks, group planning, and much more.
One parent of a STEAM scholar who attended the 2023 conference exclaimed, “What an incredible week. For my daughter, the experience was life-changing! I will be forever grateful for the impact you’ve had on my daughter… being able to spend time with other like-minded individuals who share her passion for learning and science was extraordinary.”
Nominations can be completed at ProjectFibonacci.org and registration will start in the spring. Early nominations are encouraged as the number of slots is limited.
The foundation is also looking to hold community education sessions ahead of the conference for teachers and business leaders to raise awareness of the socio-technological issues associated with AI and to assist in STEM curriculum development and content delivery on AI in their schools. The foundation will share details on the community education outreach at a future date.
The foundation looks forward to welcoming students from across New York State and beyond to the Griffiss Business & Technology Park for an unforgettable week of learning, collaboration, and inspiration.
Read the Sentinel story here: https://www.romesentinel.com/news/project-fibonacci-steam-stem-griffiss-artificial-intelligence/article_445e93aa-c12c-11ee-a5c5-c3d5bf5bff2e.html
