![Teachers attending Saturday's STEAMtastic event build a hot air balloon. [Shelley Mann | Special to the Press Gazette]](http://127.0.0.1/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ghows-DA-6b280857-d140-0695-e053-0100007fa5b4-2eb8b0e6-scaled.jpeg)
MILTON — Santa Rosa County teachers gathered April 28 for the STEAMtastic Saturday event at Locklin Technical Center.
The Santa Rosa County School District was the first district in the country to have a comprehensive K-12 STEAM — science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics — curriculum in their schools. This academic year is the final year of the three-year expansion of the STEAM Innovate program.
The district partnered with Discovery Education for this aviation-themed event. Superintendent Tim Wyrosdick welcomed educators and talked about the importance of STEAM Innovate. Professional Development STEM Consultant Darcia Jones, also known as Dr. Drizzle, was the keynote speaker at the event.
Teachers built and launched hot air balloons, spoke with NASA astronaut Mae Jemison and business woman Barbara Corcoran on Skype, discussed STEAM curriculum, shared ideas, spoke with representatives from Pensacola Naval Air Station and discussed engineer solutions to homelessness in Santa Rosa County.
STEAM Innovate trains teachers and administrators — also known as innovators — how to better educate students for the world they will face in the future, according to Assistant Superintendent Bill Emerson.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: STEAMtastic event gets teachers thinking