STEAM through September

OVERVIEW

This September, the City of Boca Raton Recreation Services Department is excited to announce the seventh annual STEAM through September city-wide scavenger hunt! Children (ages 5-12) are invited to explore the following programs offered across the city during the entire month of September:

S - Science
T - Technology
E - Engineering
A - Art
M - Math

This joint event celebrates the amazing programs and exhibits at the Children’s Science Explorium, the Boca Raton Public Libraries and Gumbo Limbo Nature Center.

Starting in September swing by any participating location, or City of Boca Raton Recreation Center, to pick up a STEAM through September Passport. The passport lists challenges and opportunities for your young explorers to make the most of our fabulous city! For every completed challenge, you earn a stamp; collect all five stamps to win a goodie bag of swag from all three facilities. Happy hunting!

Here is a comprehensive list of all the STEAM activities that we provide each week. All you need to do is complete one challenge from each of the five categories: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics, to earn a passport stamp.

For more information about these categories, grab your STEAM passport at one of the participating locations or download it above.

STEAM Activities and Programs by Week

Week	Activities
Sept 1 - 3	Bugio: At all locations! Search high, seek low, it takes some explorin’ to win bugio! Check in at the front desk after completing the bug bingo challenge in the back of your passport. Trigo-frog-etry: At the Children's Science Explorium! Somewhere hidden in the Science Garden livesa silly little frog. Can you find her? Available daily at the Explorium front desk. Ages 7+. Bug Hotel Math Challenge: At the Children's Science Explorium! How much luggage can one ant carry? Let’s visit the Grand Bug-A-Pest Hotel and figure it out together! Available daily at the Explorium front desk. Ages 5+. 1,2,3 and A to Z: At Boca Raton Public Libraries! Grab a challenge sheet and put your math skills to the test as you explore the library. Available daily at the Youth Services desks at both branches. Family Fun Snorkel: At Gumbo Limbo Nature Center! Need some family outdoor fun? Explore the back side of the islandwith us as we snorkel the shallow Intracoastal waters to study the animals sheltered and protected from the ocean’s dangers here. Bring your own snorkel, mask, and water shoes (no fins allowed). Advance reservations required. Ages 10+. Children under 18 must sign up and participate with an adult. Saturday, Sept. 2, 10am. Make and Take: Anglerfish Night Light: Children's Science Explorium! Dive into the deep blue sea with us as we make a lightup tennis ball anglerfish for you to take home! Ages 5+. Sunday, Sept. 3, 11:30am.
Sept 4 - 10	Bugio: At all locations! Search high, seek low, it takes some explorin’ to win bugio! Check in at the front desk after completing the bug bingo challenge in the back of your passport. Trigo-frog-etry: At the Children's Science Explorium! Somewhere hidden in the Science Garden livesa silly little frog. Can you find her? Available daily at the Explorium front desk. Ages 7+. Bug Hotel Math Challenge: At the Children's Science Explorium! How much luggage can one ant carry? Let’s visit the Grand Bug-A-Pest Hotel and figure it out together! Available daily at the Explorium front desk. Ages 5+. 1,2,3 and A to Z: At Boca Raton Public Libraries! Grab a challenge sheet and put your math skills to the test as you explore the library. Available daily at the Youth Services desks at both branches. Explorium Science Squad: At the Children's Science Explorium! Join us as we unlock the secrets behind some of nature’s most dazzling light shows. Ages 5-7. Tuesday, Sept. 5, 4pm. Ages 8-12. Wednesday, Sept. 6, 4pm.
Sept 11 - 17	Bugio: At all locations! Search high, seek low, it takes some explorin’ to win bugio! Check in at the front desk after completing the bug bingo challenge in the back of your passport. Trigo-frog-etry: At the Children's Science Explorium! Somewhere hidden in the Science Garden livesa silly little frog. Can you find her? Available daily at the Explorium front desk. Ages 7+. Bug Hotel Math Challenge: At the Children's Science Explorium! How much luggage can one ant carry? Let’s visit the Grand Bug-A-Pest Hotel and figure it out together! Available daily at the Explorium front desk. Ages 5+. 1,2,3 and A to Z: At Boca Raton Public Libraries! Grab a challenge sheet and put your math skills to the test as you explore the library. Available daily at the Youth Services desks at both branches. Eyes to the Skies: At the Children's Science Explorium! Join us to explore the skies using our computerized 16”LX200 Meade Telescope, 10” Meade LX200GPS Telescope, 8”Celestron CPC Deluxe Telescope, and star-gazing apps! Ages 8+.Monday, Sept. 11, 8pm. Nature Detectives: At Gumbo Limbo Nature Center! This program gives your child the opportunity to learn about the wonders of nature through stories, explorations, and crafts. Dig in and get your hands dirty with ‘Rooting for Plants!’ Ages 5-6. One adult per family, no siblings please. Saturday, Sept. 16, 11:30am.
Sept 18 - 24	Bugio: At all locations! Search high, seek low, it takes some explorin’ to win bugio! Check in at the front desk after completing the bug bingo challenge in the back of your passport. Trigo-frog-etry: At the Children's Science Explorium! Somewhere hidden in the Science Garden livesa silly little frog. Can you find her? Available daily at the Explorium front desk. Ages 7+. Bug Hotel Math Challenge: At the Children's Science Explorium! How much luggage can one ant carry? Let’s visit the Grand Bug-A-Pest Hotel and figure it out together! Available daily at the Explorium front desk. Ages 5+. 1,2,3 and A to Z: At Boca Raton Public Libraries! Grab a challenge sheet and put your math skills to the test as you explore the library. Available daily at the Youth Services desks at both branches. Leo's Lab Exhibit Sneak Peek: At the Children's Science Explorium! Join us for a free night of fun in our new traveling exhibit before it opens to the public! Participate in one-night only make and takes, demonstrations, giveaways, and more. Ages 5+. Friday, Sept. 22, 6-8pm. Fly me to the Moon and Beyond: NASA's Artemis Program: At the Downtown Library! Learn about the future of human exploration and travel into deep space followed by a NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory activity making and launching your own paper rockets. Presented by NASA’s local Solar System Ambassador, Jessica Hirsh. Enrollment required. Ages 7-17. Friday, Sept. 22, 3:30pm. Citizen Science Squad: At Gumbo Limbo Nature Center! Join us for Insect BioBlitz! Gain hands-on field experience collecting scientific data in our Butterfly Garden and learn how we share our data with actual scientists! Advance reservations are required. Ages 9+. Parents/guardians do not participate but must sign child in and out. Saturday, Sept. 23, 10am. Hurricane Chasers: At the Downtown Library! Learn how to build a hurricane preparedness kit, how hurricanes form, and what conditions are needed for them to survive. Help our City Emergency Manager, Christine, prepare for a (pretend) hurricane using an online storm simulator. Enrollment required. Ages 6-8. Tuesday, Sept. 19, 3:30pm.
Sept 25 - 30	Bugio: At all locations! Search high, seek low, it takes some explorin’ to win bugio! Check in at the front desk after completing the bug bingo challenge in the back of your passport. Trigo-frog-etry: At the Children's Science Explorium! Somewhere hidden in the Science Garden livesa silly little frog. Can you find her? Available daily at the Explorium front desk. Ages 7+. Bug Hotel Math Challenge: At the Children's Science Explorium! How much luggage can one ant carry? Let’s visit the Grand Bug-A-Pest Hotel and figure it out together! Available daily at the Explorium front desk. Ages 5+. 1,2,3 and A to Z: At Boca Raton Public Libraries! Grab a challenge sheet and put your math skills to the test as you explore the library. Available daily at the Youth Services desks at both branches. Art Tales at the Library: The Boca Raton Museum of Art is bringing their Art Tales program on the road to the Library! Read stories, talk about a piece of art, and then have fun creating your own art project, all with Timothy from the Museum. Enrollment required. Families with children ages 4-8. Friday, Sept. 29, 3:30pm.

FAQs

What is STEAM?

STEAM is an approach to education that uses the following as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking:

S - Science
T - Technology
E - Engineering
A - the Arts
M - Mathematics

The end results are students who take thoughtful risks, engage in experiential learning, persist in problem-solving, embrace collaboration, and work through the creative process. These are the innovators, educators, leaders, and learners of the 21st century! (Adapted from EducationCloset.com)

Where do I get my STEAM through September Passport?

You can pick up a Passport at any of the four participating locations.

Gumbo Limbo Nature Center | GumboLimbo.org | 561-544-8605 | 1801 N Ocean Blvd.
Children’s Science Explorium | ScienceExplorium.org | 561-347-3900 | 300 S Military Trail
Boca Raton Public Library: Downtown Library | BocaLibrary.org | 561-393-7852 | 400 NW 2^nd Ave.
Boca Raton Public Library: Spanish River Library | BocaLibrary.org | 561-393-7852 | 1501 NW Spanish River Blvd.

How do I play/win?

To win the prize you must collect five (5) stamps, one from each category: S(cience), T(echnology), E(ngineering), A(rt), and M(ath).

How do I earn stamps?

Participants will need to visit the many amazing facilities throughout the City of Boca Raton to participate in programs and collect stamps.

Do I need to complete all the Science (Tech, Engineering, etc.) programs to earn one stamp?

No. All you must do is complete one program to earn one stamp. In all, participants need to complete five programs, one for each of the five letters of STEAM.

How old do you have to be to participate?

STEAM through September is available to anyone who is interested in participating. Most of the programming targets children between the ages of 5 and 12. Every program is a little different; check the passport or website for details. Children under 5 will need the help of an adult, and explorers over 12 may need to complete Wildcard Challenges (see next question) to make up for limited programming opportunities.

What is the prize, and where can I get mine?

You can pick up your gift at any of the participating locations by presenting your completed passport to the staff at the front desk (Youth Services Desk at the Libraries).

Is there a time limit for this program?

All of the qualifying STEAM programs, including the open-ended programs, are only available throughout the month of September. Gift bags may be picked up from any of the participating locations until Friday, October 6^th, 2023.

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STEAM through September

OVERVIEW

STEAM Activities and Programs by Week

FAQs

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