STEM Education with Robbie Schaefer

STEM in an acronym for science, technology, engineering, and math. It's a buzzword in education, as teachers and education officials have fought to combat the brain drain occurring in American education. American students are falling behind their foreign counterparts in those areas, making them less competitive in the workplace.

Wolf Trap has been looking for ways to get children interested in STEM programs from an early age. They commissioned Robbie Schaefer (of Eddie From Ohio) to create a performance that made STEM elements accessible to young children. Interactivity is an important factor in engaging the children and their imaginations.

For this video, I used two cameras for a slight variety of angles. I put one amongst the kids for a "kids-eye view" of the show. I also had to work around the kids whose parents did not give media permission. They were off to one side but occasionally one would lean over into the camera view. Finally, I was asked not to make an intro for the video. Hence the cold start.