Big News, STEAM fans!
First of all, welcome to the every-once-in-a-while regular I Was A Kid posting from me, Karen Romano Young. You may know me from novels like The Beetle and Me: A Love Story, graphic novels like Doodlebug: A Novel in Doodles, and science books like the Try This! Series, Antarctica: The Melting Continent, and Whale Quest. I Was A Kid is a new multimedia project dedicated to sharing the stories of STEAM students and professionals, such as…
Second piece of news: The National Science Teaching Association’s new president, Dr. Alicia S. Conerly, took office June 1. Right on time is I Was A Kid with a STEAM profile of her.
Dr. Conerly grew up in rural Mississippi, and after a twisty path through potential science and medical careers and studies, became a science teacher dedicated to improving opportunities for kids like herself. At a conference, a fire alarm placed her in the way of a woman who would become her mentor, helping her to find her way into the NSTA and the teacher-support grants that came with it… and onward to the presidency!
Visit Dr. Conerly’s profile on the I Was A Kid website at iwasakid.com/aliciaconerly. You’ll learn all about her, while getting a taste of what’s available through my project: going on 50 profiles of folks from previously marginalized communities, including race, religion, socioeconomic background, gender, sexuality, physical and mental ability.
My project developed at an intersection of concern by the STEAM world about the need for new and diverse perspectives in their fields; from my wish to show today’s kids that they too can have exciting research and creative lives and adventures; and from a long standing philosophy of representation in media for young people.
Here’s a third and key piece of news: all the materials at IWasAKid.com are available free, including downloads of comics and trading cards. To stay up to date, follow @IwasakidSTEAM on Instagram — and watch for another I Was A Kid post in September.
Finally, how about some free I Was A Kid posters — all printed out and beautiful? Subscribe at iwasakid.com and you’ll be entered EACH MONTH to win a set of 12 posters.