(Buford, Ga., Aug. 20, 2015) – Summer has come to an end, and area students have returned to class.  The Environmental and Heritage Center (EHC) encourages everyone to get a head start on a great school year and enjoy fun activities connected to Science-Technology-Engineering-Math (STEM) at its second annual Back To School STEM event on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2015, from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m.

The event will feature a number of STEM focused activities, including the opportunity to meet real STEM professionals.  Dr. Chi Thai from the University of Georgia’s School of Engineering will showcase his work with robotic arms.  Mike Hemphill from Acuity Brands Lighting will provide demonstrations using Visual Light Communication (VLC) and low energy Blue Tooth (BLE) technologies and discuss coding and game development. Members of the Gwinnett County Police Crime Scene Investigations Unit will highlight the tools and science they use to solve crimes.

Participants will also get a chance to discover the engineering talents of beavers, utilize LEGO EV3 robots to solve recycling challenges and experience science and math in action at various stations throughout the building and its lab.

“In today’s classroom, there is a huge focus on STEM education,” said Jason West, the EHC’s director of programming.  “It is crucial that we equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to graduate from high school, be successful in college and professional careers and be competitive with their peers throughout the United States and the world.  Highlighting fun and exciting STEM connections is certainly one way to get the school year off on the right track.”

The event is included in EHC admission.  For admission pricing and information related to the event and the EHC, visit www.gwinnettEHC.org.