First-Ever VUSD STEM2Career Expo a Success
From aerial drone racing to a Catapult Challenge, noodle engineering and live animals, the event showcased VUSD’s innovation
A young student tries a flight simulator with guidance from a member of Vista High’s Air Force ROTC.
The STEM2Career Expo, a combination of Vista USD’s popular CTE Showcase and STEM Fest events melded into one event, was held at Vista High School on Wednesday, March 26. The scaled-up expo was a hit and showcased the innovation, creativity, and skill of the VUSD student community.
The decision to merge the two shows into one larger event provided a perfect opportunity to showcase the breadth and depth of what a TK-12 unified school district can achieve.
The STEM2Career Expo sprawled across the Vista High School campus, with stations in the school’s gymnasium and outdoor foyer, the outside quad area, and in several classrooms, including the auto shop, the Panther Cafe (home of the school’s culinary arts classes), and in several band and music rooms.
“The STEM2Career Expo is an annual culmination of our district-wide commitment to career exploration for students of all ages,” says Vista USD Superintendent Dr. Matt Doyle. “San Diego County has become a national leader in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. As a matter of fact, right here in North County, we have business partners leading the world in bioengineering and technology. We are excited to showcase the interests, skills, and abilities our students have developed as they prepare for a successful career in STEM-related fields.”
Mrs. Rivera teaches coding on iPads with participants.
STEM
The STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) element featured students from every school in the district, with booths both inside and outside the school’s gymnasium. Students exhibited a wide variety of science experiments and projects, plus hands-on activities that engaged attendees.
Alamosa Park Elementary students showcase their STEM skills with a Beam Bridge model and activity.
The stations highlighted how students have gained skills and knowledge in myriad areas. Grapevine Elementary students, for example, showed their knowledge of energy creation with wind turbines, inviting attendees to build their own turbines and learn about energy.
Says Taresa McSpadden, a Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA) for Vista Unified, “Our school district stands out because each school has the freedom to choose the STEM activities that best engage their students and focus on their interests. This creates an exciting opportunity for our students, staff, families, and administrators to see the diverse and innovative projects happening across different schools. When students from TK-12th grade showcase their work, it highlights our commitment to fostering their interests and passions in the classroom.”
Other skills highlighted included projects using Scratch, a free programming language, and Tinkercad, a 3D modeling software. The exhibits demonstrated how students create interactive stories, animations, and games related to the greenhouse effect. There were also booths featuring a Pinwheel Design Center, Infrared Astronomy, Drone Flights, and Flight Simulators. Attendees enjoyed a ‘Make and Take’ table with Seed Bombs and Build-and-Test paper glider kits.
Lastly, following the success of last year’s STEM Fest ‘Egg Drop Challenge, ’ VUSD introduced a ‘Catapult Challenge’ for this year’s event.
More than 360 TK - 12th-grade students signed up and brought the catapults they created for the challenge. Each participant was given a jellybean dipped in paint to see how far their device could propel the object. Vista High School students measured the distances for each participant.
CTE Pathways Expand
The Career Technical Education (CTE) portion of the event showcased CTE student projects from all Vista USD high schools. Showcase stations included culinary arts, virtual welding, stage lighting and sound engineering, construction, auto mechanics, computer engineering, graphic design, video game design, 1st responder, and more.
RBV construction students displayed the tiny house they are building for unhoused veterans.
The showcase is an interactive display of the various CTE pathways the district has developed, with students demonstrating the skills they have learned that transfer to a variety of industries and roles.
“This event was an amazing way to see the breadth and depth of our CTE students’ work and expertise across a wide spectrum of skilled career-path classes,” says Robert Crowell, Career Pathways Coordinator for Vista Unified. “It’s a celebration of the expertise of our staff being transferred to our students to empower them for success.”
Virtual welding stations were available to all attendees.
CTE teachers from Vista High, Rancho Buena Vista, and Mission Vista were on hand to speak to visitors and give further information about the curriculum. Mission Vista HIgh School’s photography class set up a photo booth for attendees to showcase their work.
A special element of the CTE showcase was the participation of many local businesses that have provided VUSD students with internship opportunities. Businesses in attendance included Sea Spine, The Vista Chamber of Commerce, Vista Firefighters, Mathnasium, VPSD Media, Balfour Beatty, Vista Community Clinic, and Electrical Training Institute.
Many students are currently interns with these businesses and spoke to attendees about their experiences; company representatives explained how their businesses relate to career and STEM and met with students interested in internships for the summer and next school year.