BUCYRUS, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW)—Bucyrus City Schools recently welcomed Marion Technical College to Bucyrus Elementary for a special day of hands-on STEM learning and career exploration for kindergarten and first grade students.
As part of the visit, Marion Technical College’s STEM and Workforce Development teams led four STEM lessons for kindergarten students: Will it Float?, Marshmallow Bridges, Paper Airplanes, and Balloon Race Car. Kindergarten students rotated through these engaging, hands-on activities, which introduced them to problem solving, design, experimentation, and the exciting possibilities connected to STEM fields. The lessons were designed to be interactive, age appropriate, and connected to careers in engineering and technical fields.
First grade students participated in a lively Career Game Show held in the auditorium, where they listened to clues from six volunteers and worked to guess each person’s profession. Students used prepared questions to learn more about what each volunteer does for a living, helping them begin to understand the many different careers that support a community. The event was designed to make career exploration fun, memorable, and accessible for young learners.
“We were thrilled to partner with Bucyrus City Schools for this experience,” said Mike Augenstein of Marion Technical College. “Helping students explore STEM concepts and careers at a young age is important because it builds curiosity, expands awareness, and helps children begin to imagine what may be possible for their future.”
The day was the result of collaborative planning between Bucyrus City Schools and Marion Technical College’s Workforce Development and STEM teams. Led locally by Amy Wood, Director of Leadership & District Partnerships, this event was designed as part of a broader series of Career Connected Learning experiences being developed with workforce and higher education partners to ensure that all Bucyrus students in grades K–12 engage in meaningful career awareness and exploration opportunities. Marion Technical College served as the champion for this project, helping bring the experience to life for Bucyrus Elementary students.
“At Bucyrus City Schools, we want students to begin exploring their interests and future career opportunities as early as possible,” said Superintendent Robert Britton. “This partnership with Marion Technical College helped make that vision real for our kindergarten and first grade students.”
The visit is one more example of Bucyrus City Schools’ ongoing work to connect students to meaningful career awareness experiences across grade levels through the district’s True North vision.