Students enjoy STEM Day at Little Caesars Arena

DETROIT -- The post-Super Bowl blues weren't a problem for hundreds of students from the Detroit Public School Community District on Monday as they attended STEM Day at Little Caesars Arena, presented by Chevrolet.

The event celebrated and rewarded students for their participation in the Future Goals - Hockey Scholar™ program, a hockey-themed educational course designed to enable elementary and middle school students to develop important science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills and understand the real-world application of these disciplines.
Nearly 300 students from 10 Detroit Public Schools who are involved in the Future Goals program were invited to the Red Wings' new arena Monday morning to hear from guest speakers about their STEM-related careers and engage in STEM-related Q & A sessions. The students also got to watch a live Red Wings practice and enjoyed a Little Caesars pizza lunch on the concourse.
"It's an awesome opportunity. We're so grateful to the Red Wings and Chevrolet," said Detroit Public Schools Foundation president and CEO Pamela Moore. "It's an awesome arena. The students learned about how the ice is made, how the stadium was built, the engineers behind the work, what they do every day. It was a day of learning and really a day of fun."
Detroit Public Schools in attendance were the Academy of the Americas, Bates Academy, Harms Elementary School, Davison Elementary-Middle School, Mackenzie Elementary-Middle School, Clark Preparatory, Foreign Language Immersion and Cultural Studies School, A.L. Holmes Academy, Neinas Dual Language Learning Academy and Cooke Elementary School.
STEM Day guest speakers included Chevrolet vehicle performance engineer Miles Egbert, Little Caesars Arena operations manager Al Sobotka and Red Wings director of broadcasting and engineering Sheldon Neuman.

"Our guest speakers elaborated on what students learned in their classrooms through Future Goals, allowing the children to see real-world applications of careers closely connected to STEM," said Red Wings director of community relations and the Detroit Red Wings Foundation Kevin Brown. "Events like STEM Day at Little Caesars Arena serve as a vital tool for students to experience their classwork come to life.
"The Red Wings and Chevrolet are committed to offering opportunities for Detroit Public Schools Community District students to succeed, both inside and outside the classroom."
Egbert was the first guest speaker of the day, educating students about Chevrolet vehicle engineering.
After the Chevrolet discussion, students made their way to the BELFOR Training Center to hear from Sobotka about everything it takes to maintain the ice at Little Caesars Arena. After the Q & A with Sobotka, the students heard from Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill before watching the Red Wings practice up close and personal.
The event concluded with Neuman, who spoke to the students about all the technology throughout Little Caesars Arena and everything that goes into a successful Red Wings television broadcast.
"It's exciting for the students," Moore said. "They've done STEM modules inside the classroom, but for them to be shuttled down here to see this new arena, to hear about the occupations, talk to engineers and really understand what STEM means and all the occupations that come with science, engineering, technology and math, it's exciting. I think it might change their minds of what they want to be when they grow up."
Before the students were dismissed, they were surprised with a $30,000 donation from the Detroit Red Wings and Chevrolet to the Detroit Public Schools Foundation to purchase technological equipment.
"It's huge," Moore said about the donation. "We need resources and partnerships, so a $30,000 donation to the DPS Foundation to purchase tablets along with I.T. equipment and supplies is incredible. We're thankful for the partnership with the Red Wings and Chevrolet. We're just grateful and honored to be here, and our children had a fantastic morning."
Davison Elementary-Middle School science teacher Georgetta Johnson echoed Moore's sentiments about the impact of the $30,000 donation.
"It means a lot," Johnson said. "We're always trying to get new equipment in the school, the latest things. Technology is constantly changing and we need to be able to change with the times. I am so grateful. I was really surprised to get this donation. I'm looking forward to what we can get in the school to help our students down the road."

Johnson has implemented the Future Goals program in her lesson plans since its inception four years ago, and said the program is an extraordinary asset to help students bring STEM skills to life.
"They can see how it's going to benefit them in math and science. It's especially important," Johnson said about the program, which has reached more than 53,000 students across Michigan since September 2014. "Because of the world we live in these days, our students are doing entirely different things, so they need a different approach to actually motivate them and get them ready for the world they'll be working in as adults."
Johnson said the partnership with the Red Wings provides the students with local athletes to look up to which helps the material become more relatable.
"I am so happy to have the collaboration with the Red Wings," Johnson said. "It's something the students see and hear about every day. But for the Red Wings to actually come to us and involve us in a program that will benefit the students is absolutely fantastic."

Brown said he was extremely happy with the students' enthusiasm on STEM Day and said the event was a rousing success.
"STEM Day at Little Caesars Arena was an amazing success, allowing hundreds of students to see how STEM skills interact with so many careers within the hockey and automotive industries," he said. "Together with Chevrolet, the Detroit Red Wings are dedicated to ensuring students in DPSCD receive the best opportunities to help explore future career paths."