iMAGINE the Possibilities! A New Season of STEAM Festivals Launches in South Carolina

iMAGINE STEAM Festivals are South Carolina’s premier community events for igniting interest in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics education and careers. Drawing over 20,000 attendees annually, the festivals offer something exciting for everyone seeking to experience hands-on STEAM learning while having a great time.

Now it gets even better. We are proud that Verizon has joined iMAGINE as a sponsoring partner for all 2022-23 festivals to highlight the importance of digital learning in everyday life and the potential to pursue a STEAM career.

“Verizon is proud to partner with South Carolina’s Coalition for Mathematics and Science to expand STEAM Festivals in South Carolina,” said Julie C. Smith, Vice President, Government Affairs, Verizon. “The festivals provide children and families with hands-on technology learning experiences while enjoying a fun community atmosphere. What a better way to be inspired!”

Lead STEAM Festival organizer, Dallas Thomas, and the iMAGINE team have put together this slate of events:

• October 22, 2022 – iMAGINE Lakelands (10 am – 2 pm in Uptown Greenwood from the Arts Center, along Oregon Avenue, to the Farmers’ Market)
• April 1, 2023 – iMAGINE Upstate (11 am – 5 pm on Main St. in Downtown Greenville)
• May 6, 2023 – iMAGINE at DIG STEAM Festival (11 am – 5 pm in Williston)

“The iMAGINE festivals are unique in that they bring together business and industry partners, schools, nonprofit, and community organizations,” Thomas said. “Each plays a role in capturing a student’s imagination and inspiring a passion for STEAM. We welcome involvement from any organization wishing to participate at one or all of the festivals across South Carolina. Families, you are invited to join us on any festival Saturday for free. See you there!”

iMAGINE is a program of South Carolina’s Coalition for Mathematics & Science (SCCMS) at Clemson University. For more information, visit https://www.imaginesteamsc.org

For details, contact iMAGINE’s lead organizer, Dallas Thomas at dthomas@sccoalition.org.

Additional STEAM information: The STEM workforce in the United States continues to grow with each passing year, and as of 2022 over 36 million Americans spanning across a diverse variety of occupations hold positions that require STEM education (https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsb20221/u-s-and-global-stem-education-and-labor-force). To compound the need for STEM workers in the United States, the number of STEM occupations is expected to grow by 10.5% between 2020 and 2030.