New World Learning Academy (NWLA), a S.T.E.M. based (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) preschool in Chandler, is hosting the 2nd Annual STEM Festival on Saturday, Mar. 3, from 10 am to 2 pm at the school located at 900 E. Pecos Rd. The free event will feature hands-on activities for kids ages 3 to 17, performances by the Wikked Rev band and the Salt River Senior Steppers, food, vendors, prizes, and race car driver Curt Eierdam with his 300 MPH dragster – The Invader.

According to the school’s founder and director, Tracie Younce, “Our first STEM Festival in 2017 was so popular that we decided to make it bigger and better this year with lots of fun interactive activities for kids and families. We hope the community will join us to explore the world of S.T.E.M.”

The 2018 festival will offer technology demonstrations from Future Kiddie and Code.Org, a variety of hands-on activity stations for kids on bridge engineering, balloon-powered cars, how to create paper circuits and build a compass, chemistry experiments, other STEM-based projects and games and live entertainment for all ages.

Vendors include Aloha Math, Artistic Offerings, Kumon among others. Attendees will also have the chance to win raffle prizes and coupons donated by local businesses ranging from a race car gift basket, Amazon Echo devices and arts and craft and game packages.

New World Learn Academy was founded by Younce in 2017 when she saw a need for S.T.E.M. based early education for young children. The preschool offers an accelerated year-round curriculum for children ages 3 to 6, summer camps for ages 3 to 12, and will be offering new Robotics Camps for ages 6 to 12 beginning in June of 2018.

Younce says, “Early childhood is the most important point in neurological development and when kids learn through dynamic investigation and how to observe, interrelate and discover. It’s during these years that, with the right environment, children can develop a love of scientific inquiry and logical reasoning that will last throughout their lives.”

The school offers an 8 to 1 student to teacher ratio and incorporates Character Education, Fine Arts and Individualized Reading programs into the accelerated S.T.E.M. curriculum. Before and after school care is also available.

Discounts off year-round programs and summer camps will be offered during the event.

The new school has been well-received by parents. Dawn Cottone says, “Our son Joseph has thrived since beginning in the New World STEM Summer Camp last year and he now attends the year-round program. He just turned 5 but he is already learning first-grade math and has mastered phonograms beyond the first-grade level. Mrs. Younce teaches to the child and truly believes there is no ceiling to how much a child can learn, even at a very young age.

In addition to the school’s other  programs, Younce says that she is planning a free “Girls Who Code” offering for girls in grades 6th – 12th  in the summer of 2018 “in order to help start bridging the gender gap in technology.”

She adds, “Most preschools are play-based or have a very light curriculum presented to the entire class. We recognize the various learning styles and personalities of each individual child. We cater to the child and not the classroom.”

The 2018 S.T.E.M is being held on Saturday, March 3, from 10 am to 2 pm, at New World Learning Academy located at 900 E. Pecos Road in Chandler, 85225. The event is free to the public. For more information call (480) 248-6125, email admin@nwlacademy.com or visit www.nwlacademy.com.