Students and families from all over Osceola County gained hands-on experience and inspiration Saturday at NeoCity’s Community STEM Day.
The event, which took place at the NeoCity OC Building and grounds, featured interactive stations hosted by Plug and Play, UCF School of Modeling Simulation and Training, Toho Water Authority, SkyWater Technologies, KUA, BRIDG, Central Florida Semiconductor Innovation Engine and more.
Hundreds of visitors learned how telescopes work, how glass bottles are recycled into sand, and how rockets fly. They visited the Osceola School District’s STEM Bus, flew planes on flight simulators, and learned about robotics and microchips.
“When you see these kids and the engagement, the opportunity to be hands-on … virtual reality, solar …. We all know about kids: If you tell them, they forget. If you show them, they might remember. If you engage them, they learn,” said Jay Galbraith, president of BRIDG.
Galbraith said the goal for the Community STEM Day was to show the community what NeoCity has to offer.
“We want the community to understand what is here and the opportunities that are here, short-term and long-term,” he said. “We’ve got the best high school in America right here in STEM. I want the community to fully understand what’s available here and what the future can be. And then ultimately, these kids are exposed to an industry, to opportunities, and to think in different ways in the local economy.”
“Really, STEM is for everyone,” said Gloria LeQuang with BRIDG. “This is an opportunity to enjoy and embrace the economic diversity of the region and what Osceola County is trying to do, and to help inspire kids and future opportunities within the STEM and STEAM field.”
Located in Kissimmee, NeoCity is a 500-acre technology campus that is home to state-of-the-art research facilities and newage manufacturing. Across the street from the Center for Neovation is the NeoCity Academy, a STEM-focused public high school that was named a 2024 Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education.
