CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History (WVDACH), in partnership with the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, is hosting the 2019 STEAM Power WV Showcase at the Culture Center in Charleston on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2019 from 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Educators, artists, STEM professionals and students are all encouraged to attend. The event is free and open to the public with preregistration encouraged but not required.

The showcase allows statewide recipients of the 2018-19 STEAM Power WV grant to show their innovative, educational projects integrating science, technology, engineering, arts and math. It will feature exhibits highlighting K-12 STEAM projects, performances by the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra’s Shook Struck, hands-on art making activity by Kylie Proudfoot-Payne of ArtsBank, Inc., demonstrations involving STEAM-based programs, and state and national experts on STEAM education.

Guest speakers include Randall Reid-Smith, curator of the WVDACH; Jim Denova, vice president of The Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation; Al Najjar, president and CEO of the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences; Carmelle Nickens, founder and manager of Rural Arts Collaborative; Mary Dell’Erba, senior project manager of Arts Education Partnership; Nancy Daugherty, arts education specialist for the National Endowment for the Arts; Tim Thompson, director of performing arts at the Oglebay Institute; and Joe Tackett, president of the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra.

Those interested in attending may visit the STEAM Power WV event page for preregistration:bit.ly/SteamShowcase19.

STEAM Power WV is an innovative grant program that has been supporting education initiatives for West Virginia’s PK-12 students since 2016. Partnering with the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, the goal is to encourage schools, arts organizations, and other nonprofit organizations to integrate arts with STEM disciplines in their curriculum and educational programming. Additional funding support for this program has been provided by the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences and the Governor’s STEM Initiative.

For more information, contact Paul Neil, arts office secretary, at (304) 558-0240 or Paul.R.Neil@wv.gov.