Issue link: https://fredparent.uberflip.com/i/1368382
28 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • May 2021 Sophia Sozzi is a former public school teacher turned stay-at-home mom. When she moved to Staff ord 10 months ago, she loved the wide-open spaces and relaxed atmosphere for her two children. But she also no ced her kids needed more opportuni es to learn, especially in the STEM area (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathema cs) "Many of the haves and have nots in our children's future will be determined by the technological mastery our kids bring to the table. That means we all need to make an investment in educa ng our kids about the joys and rewards of STEM," says Sozzi. It started with a dona on of robo cs kits, laptops and other items to Staff ord County Pub- lic Schools and Staff ord Junc on, a nonprofi t that serves the seven poorest neighborhoods in Staff ord County. Sozzi obtained a dona on from HDT Global, a worldwide leader in highly- engineered, integrated expedi onary products and solu ons based in Spotyslvania, to purchase DigitalKidz Lego robot kits and laptops. She then convinced Cyber Bytes Founda on, a Staff ord nonprofi t, to donate space to train one teacher per elementary school on how to build and pro- gram the robots, (post-COVID). Staff ord Parks and Rec also joined Sozzi's eff orts to expand STEM opportuni es. Staff ord County Parks and Recrea on has added classes by Abrakadoodle, an arts program for 3-year-olds and up and STEM classes from C3 CyberClub. Her next goal is to form a a STEM-focused coali on of businesses and governmental partners that will design and support the innova ve programs needed to prepare Staff ord kids for technical jobs of the future. For more informa on about STEM ini a ves in Staff ord, including if you or your company are interested in joining the STEM Leadership Council or helping in other ways, contact Sophia Sozzi at sophia@cyberbytesfounda on.org. To join a Facebook group dedicated to STEM in Staff ord, including informa on from camps to home ac vi es, news, events and other informa on, join "STEM UP Staff ord" at facebookcom/groups/211995503754632 or subscribe to the FredParent Summer Camp Ele ers at fredericksburgparent.net. STEM For Kids Picks Up Speed in Staff ord County WRITTEN BY LEIGH ANNE VAN DOREN Sta ord Mom Takes the Wheel of STEM Opportunities