Planet Aid School and Community Programs Participates in P.S. 014's Sustainable STEAM Expo

Planet Aid’s School and Community Programs was invited to attend and participate in a STEAM Expo at P.S. 014, The Fairview School in Queens, New York on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. STEAM EXPOs offer opportunities for students to partake in fun and engaging activities to build interest and knowledge in the five tenets of STEAM, which are science, technology engineering, arts, and mathematics.

Sustainability Coordinator Bianca Bibiloni and the school’s dedicated Sustainable STEAM Team were the brains and brawn behind the expo. They orchestrated a cast of New York’s finest organizations to join in the festivities. Some of the organizations included: City College of New York, Solar One, New York Hall of Science, Queens Botanical Garden, NYC Department of Sanitation, NYCPS Department of Energy and Sustainability, NYC Sunworks, the Fresh Air Fund, and the Urban Park Rangers through NYC Parks, among others.

Planet Aid School and Community Programs Manager, Christina Jones, contributed to the event by leading a hands-on art-themed upcycling activity. The students were incredibly enthusiastic when given an old T-shirt to create a fashionable and sturdy reusable grocery shopping bag.

Planet Aid's program manager remarked, "Participating in Fairview School's STEAM Expo was an inspiring experience. I got to witness firsthand the enthusiasm of students as they learned to think outside the box when it comes to upcycling and being more conscious about the things they throw away. I was also blown away by the profound dedication of educators and the school community toward fostering sustainability and active learning."

Planet Aid’s School and Community Programs' activity was designed to instill a sense of pride in repurposing a piece of clothing from impending trash to treasure. Students, teachers, and families all joined in on the fun and engaging eco-friendly project.

Students also enjoyed presenting their various innovative projects. The expo’s winning project was a remarkable 3-D replicate model of the Pyramid at Chichén Itzá in Mexico.

Some of the participating organizations also conducted interactive activities. City College of New York's activity brought the engineering aspect of the STEAM Expo into full gear with a kinetic toy-making activity. Pretty awesome, right?

Planet Aid was sincerely honored to attend P.S. 014’s STEAM Expo as a community partner. Learn how to make your own reusable shopping bag from an old T-shirt, follow the steps below.