Maryland STEM Festival inspires next generation of innovators

Oct. 17 is going to be a big day for Phil Rogofsky, as it marks the kickoff of year 11 of the Maryland STEM Festival. And how the event has grown: the once 10-day celebration of science, technology, math and engineering now lasts a month, this year through Sunday, Nov. 16.

With more than 300 events scheduled for more than 100 locations across the state, the festival attracts an estimated 30,000 visitors, employees, volunteers, etc., who expand the horizons of learners throughout the world of STEM.

Given the dearth of workers available to this ever-expanding sector, the Columbia-based Rogofsky, the executive director who runs the festival as a solo act, said he and his supporters are targeting “pre-K through high school students as the primary demographic.” He stressed, however, that the event includes activities geared toward adults and career changers, too.

STEM for all

One reason the festival now spans a month is so participants who miss one event can easily attend another. That way, Rogofsky and company “can give kids from all over Maryland access to learn about STEM.”

As the event has grown, so has its pool of financial providers, with its annual $120,000 budget “generated via a sponsorship model,” he said, via funding from corporations, universities, the state of Maryland, and small state and national associations, such as the American Institute of Architects.

While disparate in terms of locales, its biggest group of venues are “the public libraries in almost every county,” he said, “plus colleges and universities, public and private schools, businesses and nonprofits.” Events can range from performances, discussions and competitions to building activities, coding classes and even cooking seminars.

How the sessions are presented is just as varied. While most take up a day, some run for multiple dates, like “Animal Architecture,” a program about the Maryland Zoo’s engineering needs, which will be held from Nov. 10-14.

Also among the participants this year is Astra Zeneca. Tiffany Lukis, director, STEM and community engagement at the corporation’s Gaithersburg campus, said the pharmaceutical giant “believes in providing students with access to STEM to inspire the next generation of innovators.”

Lukis said “It allows our employees to engage in the community” and that “various studies have indicated that it’s critical to raise awareness of STEM to middle school students.

“That’s our aim,” she said, “because by the time students reach 8th grade, more than 50% have lost interest in STEM,” according to a study from the U.S. News & World Report, “among other sources. That number still seems to be declining.”

Reaching kids early is even more critical for women, as they only comprise about 30% of today’s STEM workforce, according to STEM Women, “but when such connections are made,” said Lukis, “Festival supporters see the progress.”

For instance, “We hosted a group of high school students from Montgomery County Public Schools in summer 2024 when one student realized that she wanted to work in cancer research,” said Lukis, “and she’s pursuing that goal now.”

Young ideas

State Sen. Clarence Lam, a preventative medicine physician, is another festival advocate.

“There is a great need for STEM workers to take on a variety of roles,” said Lam. “We’re on the cusp of building the workforce of the future, with artificial intelligence taking us places we’ve never imagined. And we need more workers to fill these roles.

“While we’ve made progress, we still have a ways to go,” said Lam. “It’s important for us to highlight that need, because if we don’t work to inspire younger people, our state will be operating at a disadvantage.”

Holding that thought is Kim Paradise, chief of staff with Baltimore-based Mindgrub Technologies and a festival board member. She also spoke of the importance of heightening the focus on building the STEM workforce pipeline.

“Phil has done an amazing job doing this on his own for several years. Maybe he’ll soon be able to add a couple of AI assistants,” Paradise said, with some amusement. “But I, too, would like to see more overall participation from the state’s business community. We’re using the festival platform to create a more accessible workforce, but we need greater awareness of our needs within our regional and national communities, too.”

For Paradise, supporting the Maryland STEM Festival is “deeply personal. That’s because I’ve seen how one spark of curiosity can change the trajectory of a young person’s life. At Mindgrub, we make STEM and STEAM (the “A” stands for the “Arts”) education a priority, because the future prepared workforce that can fill the new roles that will emerge out of AI depends on the talent we inspire today.”

Like Lam, she wants to see more support for the event, “so we, as a community, can continue to build a strong foundation and a diverse STEM-ready workforce that will keep Maryland at the forefront of innovation.”

Mindgrub is contributing to the festival on Nov. 7 by holding its 3rd annual MGSTEMfest, in partnership with Building Steps Baltimore, at its headquarters in Locust Point. Several Mindgrub team members, including CEO Todd Marks, will be on hand; plans include interactive experiences for the students covering such topics as AI, mobile app security, the cloud and robotics.

Next steps

Kelly Schulz would also like to see greater involvement. The CEO of the Maryland Tech Council said that “it’s imperative that we grow and sustain a pipeline of talented students in STEM.”

And that’s precisely the function the Festival serves. “I look forward to seeing [the organizers] expand their reach,” said Schulz, “deepen their impact and help solidify Maryland’s national leadership in STEM education.”

As for expanding the event’s reach, Rogofsky’s gears are already turning. “I’m going to add events, build new relationships and extend the dates,” he said, “especially since there isn’t anything like the Maryland STEM Festival happening in Washington, D.C.”

Concerning suggestions from his varied audience sectors, he’s all ears. “We’re always working on getting better feedback with our staff of one,” he said, “which is me.”