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A record 268 students filled the Brown School gymnasium and cafeteria Thursday evening for the school’s fourth annual STEAM fair, presenting projects that ranged from paper-mache mountain ranges to experiments demonstrating how vinegar transforms an eggshell.
Hundreds came out and watched students in kindergarten through third grade explain their research and creations to volunteer judges. This year’s growth pushed displays into the hallway beyond the gymnasium. Students could work individually or in groups of up to three.
Principal Mary Maxfield said the record turnout reflected the strength of the school community.
“Our Brown School community is alive and well and supportive of kids,” Maxfield said.
The fair required students to develop a hypothesis, conduct research or build a project and then present their findings. Teachers and staff members volunteered to stay after school hours to serve as judges, wearing lab coats as they circulated among displays. Every participant received a ribbon sponsored by the Parent Teacher Organization.
Meaghan Desoto, a PTO president, said the event gives young students opportunities beyond their daily curriculum.
“It gives them a chance to explore something they’re curious about that they might not get to in the classroom,” Desoto said.
Projects spanned science, engineering, geology and history. Displays included experiments titled “The Germiest Places” and “The Science of Bath Bombs” alongside engineering demonstrations and research presentations.
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Kennedy O’Donnell, a first-grader, demonstrated what happens when an egg soaks in vinegar for three days.
“It was gonna turn into a squishy egg,” O’Donnell said of her hypothesis, which proved correct. The vinegar dissolved the shell, leaving the egg translucent and soft enough to squeeze. “The rubbery part is the membrane,” she explained.
Graham Leake drew a crowd as he explained hydraulics at his station, demonstrating how liquid pressure moves objects. He built the working model with his father.
Bridget Benoit, 8, constructed a model of the Rocky Mountains using paper-mache made from flour, water and newspaper strips. The third-grader said a family trip to Colorado last summer inspired the project.
She learned the mountains formed when large pieces of the Earth’s crust collided and discovered the Rockies are geologically younger than the Appalachian Mountains.
William Koelle researched the Empire State Building after visiting the New York City landmark.
“The Empire State Building was built in 14 months,” Koelle said.
He learned the 102-floor structure, completed in 1931, required 60,000 tons of steel joined by heated rivets.
Maxfield said the fair connects to daily classroom practices, including critical thinking and public speaking. Teachers use Socratic seminars beginning in kindergarten to encourage students to question what they notice and wonder about the world.
“We need kids to understand how to solve problems in the world,” Maxfield said.
Watching students present, Maxfield said she is continually impressed by their confidence and ownership.
“It’s about something they did that came from them,” she said.
Maxfield credited the collaborative relationship between the school and parent volunteers for the event’s success.
“We have a very collaborative culture, and I would say a thriving culture here,” she said.
Susan Koelle, the event’s lead organizer, introduced the fair to students at a December community meeting so they could begin developing ideas. The PTO sponsored the ribbons and coordinated setup with faculty.
Desoto said the evening brought extended families together.
“Families, grandparents are here, aunts and uncles are here,” she said.
