MARIETTA, OHIO — Washington State College of Ohio (WSCO) welcomed over 800 seventh graders from several local schools, including Marietta, Warren, Shenandoah, Belpre, Caldwell, Fort Frye, Frontier, Waterford, St. Mary Catholic, Veritas, Wood County Christian, and Cambridge Middle Schools for YES (Young Engineers and Scientists) Days.
The two-day event, hosted on Washington State’s campus, engages middle school students in STEM through immersive, hands-on experiences that demonstrate how local businesses integrate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics into their routines.
Over 20 presenters from throughout the Mid-Ohio Valley demonstrated how STEM applies to their careers. The presenters included Appalachian Ohio Manufacturers’ Coalition, Building Bridges to Careers, Paul Dailey, Discovery World, Grimm Scientific Industries, Hi-Vac Corporation, Kraton Corporation, Marietta College, MedFlight, Micro Machine Works Inc., Ohio Department of Transportation, Power Systems Engineering, Snowville Creamery, Syensqo, Terra Sonic International, Thermo Fisher Scientific, The Washington County Career Center – Adult Technical Training, The Washington County Career Center – High School, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Washington Soil & Water Conservation District, Washington State College of Ohio, and WTAP Television.
The event’s sponsors included Kraton, Syensqo, Appalachian Ohio Manufacturers’ Coalition (AOMC), and Building Bridges to Careers.
“Washington State is proud to host YES Days and welcome schools and leaders from both the public and private sectors. We are grateful for the time that is donated to this annual event by our presenters and committee members, led by Joseph Hughes from Kraton,” said Lisa Walsh, Director of College Credit Plus (CCP) Partnerships at WSCO. “For over 30 years, Young Engineers and Scientists Days has helped thousands of seventh-grade students in our region learn about STEM careers and concepts thanks to the foresight of founder Mary Lou Moegling and all who have supported this work,” continued Walsh.
