SC4’s inaugural STEM Fest to offer interactive activities and education highlighting STEM

On Saturday, March 11, St. Clair County Community College (SC4) is hosting its first-ever SC4 STEM Fest. The event will offer hands-on education and highlight opportunities within STEM, an acronym for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and feature more than 100 interactive exhibits showcasing robotic technology, rocket launches, wildlife, and much more.

“We want to provide a high-quality, fun, unique, and engaging event that instills a passion for, and brings awareness to, a wide variety of STEM topics and careers,” says Kristin Copenhaver, Vice President of Marketing and Special Projects at SC4. “We need future leaders and innovators in STEM, and events and opportunities like SC4 STEM Fest can help illustrate career paths and possibilities.”

The event is also designed to show pathways beyond high school and help students expand their potential career path options, educational confidence, and capabilities. Currently, Copenhaver says more than 3,000 people have already registered for the free event drawing those of all ages from more than 115 zip codes across Michigan and Canada.



“The goal is to show what is achievable, and offer some suggested methods to accomplishing those things through courses and programs at SC4 or other routes in the future,” Copenhaver says.

Payton Rabideau, an SC4 student pursuing a career in marketing, says they are excited for the event and believes it will also have benefits for those who aren’t pursuing a career in the STEM field.

“I think it will help individuals explore the world of career opportunities and allow for better direction in decision-making,” Rabideau says.

Retired National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronaut Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger will also be making a special appearance at the event. Having worked in education as a high school teacher before joining the Challenger spacecraft team, Metcalf-Lindenburger shared in an interview with SC4 that she is excited to engage with students and believes STEM events are highly impactful in shaping early career paths.

“I know how impactful STEM events were in shaping my early career path, and the Challenger Learning Center at SC4 will launch their dreams,” she says.

SC4 STEM Fest is open to all ages. It will be held on Saturday, March 11, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the college’s Fieldhouse and Experience Center located on Erie Street in Port Huron. For more information or to register for the event, visit sc4.edu/stem-fest.