iFLY’s STEM Education Program is tangible and exciting for students of all ages. Photo: iFLY Indoor Skydiving, used with permission.
STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) forms the cornerstone of modern learning. It fosters critical thinking, problem-solving, and innovation, essential for navigating the complexities of the contemporary world. Through hands-on activities and interdisciplinary approaches, STEM education encourages students to explore, experiment, and collaborate. By engaging students in real-world applications and challenges, STEM education prepares them for future careers in fields ranging from robotics to renewable energy while nurturing curiosity, resilience, and adaptability.
iFLY Indoor Skydiving has developed a STEM field trip program for students to learn the science behind flight. While learning about physics may seem like a daunting task, the educators at iFLY make it accessible for students of all ages. (iFLY Indoor Skydiving, 2024)
iFLY Indoor Skydiving STEM field trips give students an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the wind tunnel technology used at iFLY. Students learn about math and physics in an immersive lesson that is aligned with state standards. STEM educators at iFLY guide students through a hands-on lesson that consists of an interactive presentation on real-world STEM applications, physics demonstrations in the wind tunnel, lab activity and immersive experiments based on grade level, measuring data and interpreting results and one-on-one flying with a certified world-class flight instructor.
The iFLY STEM Education Program was developed to serve homeschooled students, scouts, STEM clubs, traditional school groups and more. Each learner will feel the effects of physical forces on their bodies while experiencing the thrill of flight. Even the youngest learners are able to grasp the concept of terminal velocity from this one-of-a-kind educational field trip.
Families enjoy a FREE day at the DoSeum during SACM’s School Discovery Day to kick off National School Choice Week. Photo: SACM, used with permission.
To kick off National School Choice Week, San Antonio Charter Moms (SACM) will be hosting its most popular event of the School Discovery Day series at the DoSeum on Saturday, January 20, from 11a.m. – 2p.m. The first 1,000 guests who register online for this free event will have the chance to meet with representatives from 37 of San Antonio’s top schools while also gaining complimentary access to The DoSeum’s 68,000 square feet of galleries. SACM representatives will provide hands-on guidance in navigating the nonprofit’s online school search tools, application materials and extensive, unbiased education resources while team members from MindshiftED provide additional guidance and interpretation for Spanish speakers. The event is free and open to the public. (San Antonio Charter Moms, 2024)
SACM’s School Discovery Day Series is the largest school fair series of its kind and is held annually during the height of San Antonio’s enrollment season for charter and choice schools, currently underway for the 2024-2025 academic year. National School Choice Week, January 21–27, 2024, is a national celebration of opportunities for all families to choose the K–12 educational options that best fit their children.
With more than 175 schools of choice, a booming population of new families, and a major “rightsizing” plan slated to close 15 schools in San Antonio ISD next year, San Antonio’s educational offerings have never been more diverse or important. Time is of the essence for families looking to explore their options. To prepare, SACM’s family-friendly School Discovery Days are an excellent place for families to make the most of their search window. San Antonio Charter Moms is designed to make the often overwhelming process of finding the right school less complicated for families. These events offer the perfect opportunity for parents and caregivers to ask questions, fill out applications, and learn about the enrollment process while enjoying some quality family time in the process.
“School Discovery Days are very valuable because you get to talk with school representatives in a relaxed environment and get a feel for their education philosophy and school community. Instead of just reading about a school or doing a quick tour, you have more time to get to know school staff and parents to further evaluate whether it would be a good fit for your child. For example, when you talk to a school leader, you can hear their passion or lack thereof. You can see if their philosophy is more traditional and formal or modern and relaxed. It’s all about gathering as much information as possible and trying to determine what it would be like to interact with the school’s administration and community on a frequent basis.” – Kat Gomez, local charter school parent and frequent contributor within SACM’s Facebook Discussion Group.
SCHOOL DISCOVERY DAY AT THE DOSEUM (Flagship Event | National School Choice Week)
Saturday, January 20, 2024, 11a.m. – 2p.m.
The DoSeum (Theatre Entrance) 2800 Broadway San Antonio, TX 78209
Guests will enter the theater, just to the left of the DoSeum’s main entrance, where they will be greeted by the beats of the young DJs from The AM Project. Once inside the theater, SACM team members will usher visitors to connect with and explore the participating schools. This year, the event will extend beyond the theatre and into the first and second floor galleries allowing families to come for the information and stay for the fun. Guests who complete the scavenger hunt can enter a raffle for a chance to win a $100 gift card. Families can see the list of participating schools, learn more about the fun activities planned for the day and find free onsite parking information by visiting SACM onlineto learn more.
A snapshot of future events in the School Discovery Day series is listed below.
SCHOOL DISCOVERY DAY AT SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH
Saturday, February 3, 2024, 11a.m. – 2p.m.
Second Baptist Church Community Center 3310 E. Commerce St. San Antonio, TX 78220
School Discovery Day at Second Baptist Church guests can head to the Community Center to dance to the beats of The AM Project, catch Once in a Wild mobile zoo’s animal program, and get creative with face painting. Nearly 25 schools will be available for families to meet during this free event. Click here for online registration.
SCHOOL DISCOVERY DAY AT HEMISFAIR
Saturday, March 2, 2024, 11a.m. – 2p.m.
Central Games Plaza in Yanaguana Garden at Hemisfair 434 S. Alamo St. San Antonio, TX 78205
Families visiting School Discovery Day at Hemisfair can meet with more than 30 top schools as they enjoy the fantastic amenities of Yanaguana Garden, including a splash pad, sand play area, table games, swings, climbing structures, picnic area, restaurants, and more. Guests are encouraged to register online. Considered the leading local school search authority on all learning models, SACM provides easy access to extensive, unbiased school resources such as online discussion groups with over 11K members, articles, live videos, enrollment guides, podcasts, a school finder app and perhaps the most anticipated and impactful of all, their in-person School Discovery Day Series held annually during enrollment season.
San Antonio Charter Moms (SACM) began as a blog in 2012 when Founder Inga Cotton was inspired to help San Antonio families more easily learn about high-quality school options. The blog has evolved into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that shares fair information about all types of schools, be they charter, private, or public.
The Briscoe brings together locals day and full STEAM fun and a fantastic new exhibition. Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.
The Briscoe Western Art Museum is steaming into spring by pairing its monthly free days for local visitors with its popular “Full STEAM Ahead” educational series. The new double feature means locals can enjoy the museum for free, while families enjoy free, hands-on – and fun – educational activities. The new combination kicks off Sunday, April 2. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2023)
The Briscoe campus includes the McNutt Sculpture Garden and features 35 sculptures portraying various aspects of Western life in the garden and around the museum’s beautifully restored historic building that once housed the San Antonio Public Library. The collection spans 14 galleries with Western art and artifacts, including Santa Anna’s sword, works by Frederic Remington, Pancho Villa’s last known saddle, a fantastic Alamo diorama and artifacts, contemporary and historic paintings, sculptures, an impressive spur collection, and other cowboy and Native American relics, weapons, and photography. Best of all, locals can enjoy it all for free on the first Sunday of each month.
The Briscoe continues to tip its hat to its neighbors with the first Sunday of each month greeting Bexar County residents with free admission. The museum’s “Locals Day” waives museum admission so everyone can enjoy heading West without ever leaving San Antonio.
Bexar County residents can enjoy the Briscoe’s Locals Days through 2023, with free admission on April 2, May 7, June 4, July 2, August 6, September 3, October 8, November 5 and December 3. Online registration for Locals Day is recommended. If you can not stop in on Locals Day, children 12 and under receive free admission to the Briscoe every day, as do active-duty members of the military, making the Briscoe a terrific spot for everyone to enjoy any time.
The Briscoe’s free monthly education series “Full STEAM Ahead” will now educate and entertain on the first Sunday of every month as well. Learners of all ages work together and learn about the American West by engaging in hands-on, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics) learning experiences. Each activity ties back to the Briscoe’s art and artifacts, bringing the West to life in a new way.
From transportation and weather to animals, astronomy and engineering, each program explores an aspect of life in the West to engage and inspire learning. Full STEAM Ahead is designed for all ages to enjoy, making it a terrific family activity. Enjoy STEAMing with your family 11a.m. – 1p.m. on the first Sunday of every month at the Briscoe.
New 2023 Full Steam Ahead dates and topics include:
• April 2: Full STEAM Ahead – Painting Inspired Poetry Celebrate Poetry Month and Fiesta at the Briscoe. After studying Kim Wiggins’ “Fiesta Day on the Plaza,” a vibrant, activity-rich painting showing a fiesta – families will create a poem about their favorite part of the painting. Bringing those words to life, they will then create their own artwork to illustrate their poetry.
• May 7: Full STEAM Ahead – Exploring Art in Nature Learn about a form of art called “mandala,” a geometric configuration of symbols. After a short presentation, participants will go on a short nature walk through the Briscoe’s McNutt Sculpture Garden, where we will search for and collect interesting objects from nature. Those objects will be used to create a mandala. Digital photographs will be taken to capture each work of art.
• June 4: Full STEAM Ahead – Add Lightning to your Art Learn about how electrical currents, including lightning, work. After a short presentation, create a piece of art with a light feature, then make the art glow by creating a paper circuit.
• July 2: Full STEAM Ahead – Tools of the (Cattle) Trade The cattle industry is a vital part of the West. Hear more about the cattle industry and the simple machines cowboys used in their daily work, then create a simple machine using found and recyclable materials.
• August 6: Full STEAM Ahead – Gone for the Winter Learn more about wildlife and the fall migration of hummingbirds. After a short presentation, families will have the opportunity to create a hummingbird feeder using found and recyclable materials.
• September 3: Full STEAM Ahead – Art in the Sky Study the night sky through Kim Wiggins’ “Colonel Crockett’s Return to Cibolo Creek.” After a short study of the painting, everyone will create a bedroom planetarium to take home.
• October 8: Full STEAM Ahead – Pottery of the Southwest Learn more about the pottery made by Native Americans in the southwest, including the techniques they used to craft their pieces. Use those techniques to create a piece of pottery of your own.
• November 5: Full STEAM Ahead – Native American Homes Native Americans lived in a variety of homes. The type of home they built fit their culture and lifestyle. While learning about these different homes, put your engineering skills to the test and use materials provided to try to build a tipi, longhouse, wigwam, or other types of Native American shelters.
• December 3: Full STEAM Ahead – Gingerbread Cowboy Storytime at Cowboy Christmas Join the Briscoe to celebrate the holidays with story time and a visit with Cowboy Claus. Families will listen to “The Gingerbread Cowboy” by Janet Squires. After the story, create a gingerbread cowboy of your own and make sure Cowboy Claus knows what you want for Christmas. Cowboy Christmas at the Briscoe is free holiday fun, making the Briscoe the perfect way to make holiday memories with your family.
The Briscoe is open Thursday through Monday, 10a.m. – 5p.m. and closed to the public on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Admission is free for children 12 and under and for active duty members of the military. The museum is proud to participate in Museums For All, Blue Star Museums and Bank of America Museums on Us. The Briscoe is located on the south end of the River Walk, near the Arneson River Theatre and La Villita, with convenient parking at the Riverbend Garage directly adjacent to the museum or one of many downtown surface lots. Museum hours, parking and admission details are available online.
In celebration of National School Choice Week, families can visit with nearly 30 participating schools. Photo: San Antonio Charter Moms, used with permission.
San Antonio Charter Moms continues the School Discovery Day event series with its largest event yet to be held at The DoSeum on Saturday, January 21 from 11a.m. to 2p.m. In celebration of National School Choice Week (January 22 – January 28), families will have the opportunity to meet school representatives from nearly 30 top San Antonio choice schools, ask questions, get on interest lists and learn about application processes and deadlines. School Discovery Days are free events that connect families with schools in a face-to-face format that enables them to interact directly with multiple school representatives in one convenient location. Families can receive hands-on guidance from the San Antonio Charter Moms team on navigating the nonprofit’s online tools and resources designed to simplify the search and application process. (San Antonio Charter Moms, 2023)
With over 150 schools of choice in the San Antonio area alone, parents and caregivers can quickly become overwhelmed trying to find the right fit for their child’s individual learning needs. Considered the leading authority for assisting local families in their school search, San Antonio Charter Moms (SACM) is designed to help parents and caregivers make informed decisions by providing easy access to extensive school resources such as online discussion groups with over 10K members, articles, live videos, enrollment guides, podcasts, a school finder app and perhaps the most anticipated and impactful of all, their in-person School Discovery Day Series held annually during enrollment season. The series is the largest of its kind in San Antonio, a free school fair event series focusing on charter and choice schools in the area. The events are free, open to the public, and a huge asset to families trying to make sense of the myriad of great school options in San Antonio.
School Discovery Day at the DoSeum (Flagship Event | National School Choice Week) The theater at The DoSeum, 2800 Broadway, San Antonio, TX 78209 School Discovery Day is a free event in The DoSeum’s theater space. Guests will be greeted by the beats of the young DJs of The AM Project. With admission, guests can navigate The DoSeum’s 68,000 square feet of wow-worthy galleries designed to cultivate curiosity, ignite learning, and discover the power of play through interactive fun.
National School Choice Week, January 22–28, is a celebration of the process of allowing every family to choose the K–12 educational options that best fit their children. SACM will host nearly 30 schools during this, the flagship event of the series.
Participating Schools: Anne Frank Inspire Academy, BASIS Charter Schools, Brooks Academies of Texas, CAST Schools, Compass Rose Public Schools, Edgewood ISD Schools of Innovation, Essence Prep, The Gathering Place, Great Hearts of Texas, Harmony Public Schools, IDEA Public Schools, Jubilee Academies, KIPP Texas – San Antonio, Learn4Life Edgewood, Legacy Traditional Schools – Texas, Lighthouse Public Schools, New Frontiers Public Schools, Pre-K 4SA, Prelude Prep, Promesa Academy, Royal Public Schools, SA Prep, SAISD Choice Schools, School of Science and Technology and Southwest Prep.
Other scheduled events: School Discovery Day at Second Baptist Church – Saturday, February 4, 11a.m. – 2p.m. Second Baptist Church Community Center, 3310 E. Commerce St., San Antonio, TX 78220 Second Baptist Church is a historic Black congregation dating back to 1879 now located on the Eastside of San Antonio near the AT&T Center. Inside the Community Center, event guests can sample specialty hot dogs by Doolittle’s Mobile Kitchen, dance to the beats of The AM Project, catch Once in a Wild mobile zoo’s animal program, and get creative with face painting.
School Discovery Day at Hangar 9 – Saturday, February 18, 11a.m. – 2p.m. Hangar 9 at Brooks, 8081 Inner Circle Dr., San Antonio, TX 78223 Hangar 9, built in 1918, is the oldest wooden aircraft hangar of its kind still standing in its original location; now it is an event space at Brooks, a vibrant community on the site of a former Air Force base. Guests at School Discovery Day at Hangar 9 can meet with 25 top schools as they sample specialty hot dogs by Doolittle’s Mobile Kitchen, dance to the beats of The AM Project, catch Once in a Wild mobile zoo’s animal program, and get creative with face painting.
School Discovery Day at Hemisfair (Spring) – Saturday, March 4, 11a.m. – 2p.m. Central Games Plaza in Yanaguana Garden at Hemisfair, 434 S. Alamo St., San Antonio, TX 78205 Hemisfair is a landmark park in downtown San Antonio. Families visiting School Discovery Day at Hemisfair can meet with over 15 top schools as they enjoy the fantastic amenities of Yanaguana Garden, including a splash pad, sand play area, table games, swings, climbing structures, picnic area, restaurants, and more.
SA Examiner 