RI STEAM Expo at PCTA on May 9th!
Higgins, Carolyn
RIEEA Friends,
I am thrilled to share with our RI STEAM-related community organizations and higher education partners that planning is underway for our second annual Math Matters RI celebration: The RI STEAM Expo, being held on Saturday, May 9, 2026. As part of the Math Matters RI initiative, the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE), in partnership with Governor Dan McKee's Office, will host the Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) Expo at the Providence Career & Technical Academy. This event will be the second annual Math Matters RI celebration and will include professional learning for PK-12 educators, workshops for students and their families, and interactive STEAM exhibits for all.
The RI STEAM Expo will be a vibrant, hands-on celebration that brings together students, families, educators, higher education, and industry partners to engage in STEAM learning. The event will showcase how science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics fuel innovation, open doors to high-demand career pathways, and strengthen Rhode Island’s future workforce.
The event will feature a day of exploration, problem-solving, and creativity. The vision is to make STEAM “come alive” for students of all ages and highlight connections between PK–12 schools, higher education, and local industries.
The objectives of the event are to:
- Increase STEAM awareness and engagement among families by providing accessible and engaging hands-on experiences, demonstrations, and resources that highlight the role of mathematics and problem-solving in everyday life and STEM careers.
- Foster a cohesive and inclusive STEAM ecosystem by building connections among PK–12 education, families, industry, higher education, and workforce development to highlight clear pathways from classroom learning—especially in mathematics and problem-solving—to real-world STEM/STEAM careers.
- Support and empower educators through professional learning experiences aligned to authentic STEAM applications that integrate data analysis, modeling, and quantitative reasoning, increasing student achievement, engagement, and confidence in mathematics and STEAM disciplines.
- Strengthen and showcase partnerships between schools, industry, and community organizations that provide meaningful, math-rich, work-based and project-based learning opportunities, and highlight exemplary STEM/STEAM programs from across Rhode Island as models for statewide replication and growth.
- Promote Inclusive and Equitable Access to STEAM by planning activities that are multilingual, ADA-accessible, and designed for early learners, elementary, middle, and high school students.
We are currently accepting proposals for programming that aligns with our objectives:
- professional learning (PL) sessions for educators related to STEAM
- family workshops that share at-home and out of school STEAM activities
- interactive STEAM exhibits to engage all attendees in the Expo hall
If interested, please submit your proposal(s) for a PL session, a family workshop, or an Expo exhibit by filling out this form by Tuesday, March 31, by 4 pm.
If you have other ideas of how your organization can support the RI STEAM Expo, please reach out to our planning team at MathMa...@RIDE.RI.gov to discuss other options to be involved.
I hope your organization considers being a part of this event!
Kind regards,
Carolyn
Carolyn Higgins
STEM Specialist
Office of Instruction, Assessment & Curriculum
Rhode Island Department of Elementary & Secondary Education
255 Westminster Street Providence, RI 02903
(401) 222-8479 carolyn...@ride.ri.gov
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