Children, parents, educators, and curious minds of all ages from across Westchester gathered May 8, for STEM-tastic 2026,
The STEM Alliance’s annual festival of hands-on science, technology, engineering, and math learning.
This year, School of the Holy Child hosted the event opening the doors of their Field House and the Kelly Center for Innovation to hu
The evening featured more than 50 interactive stations that encouraged attendees to experiment, build, tinker, and explore
alongside expert guides, student STEM leaders, and industry professionals. Guests explored the SkyDome’s pop-up planetarium, piloted drone soccer balls with Drone Cadets, tackled engineering challenges, experimented with robotics, and participated in hands-on activities designed to make STEM exciting and accessible for all ages.
“After ten years, I’m more convinced than ever that a single event like STEM-tastic can change a child’s future and National
Science Foundation (NSF) research backs that up. STEM festivals are single exposure moments that reshape how kids
see themselves, building belonging for all.
TEM-tastic exists to be that moment — for every kid, every family, every child who walks in wondering if science is really for
them. Spoiler: it is!” said Margaret Käufer, President of The STEM Alliance. Visitors also stepped aboard STEM Quest,
The STEM Alliance’s new 33-foot mobile learning lab. Inside the custom-built classroom on wheels, participants explored
biology by diagnosing and suturing stuffed-animal patients and engaging with immersive STEM activities.
Through its partnership with the innovative School of the Holy Child, this year’s STEM-tastic also highlighted efforts to encourage more girls to explore STEM fields. Lucie Swartvagher, 19, a Dutchess County resident who promotes STEM education through her Nerd Girl News Instagram account with over 100,000 followers, led an introductory physics activity featuring plastic flying butterflies.
“I just wanted to say I attended my first Stem-tastic and I was blown away! I brought two 3rd grade boys, and the event got the big thumbs up–words like cool, awesome, can we go again next year?” said one parent attendee.
Coverage of the event from News12 Westchester highlighted the festival’s interactive activities and mission to inspire the
next generation of STEM learners.
