Story and photos submitted by Phyllene Washington
On Wednesday, April 16, 2025, Diverse Educational Life Training Activities, Inc. (DELTA Inc.) hosted approximately 150 eighth-grade students from the Academy for Academics and Arts (AAA) and the Academy for Science and Foreign Language (ASFL) at their inaugural STEAM event, “Destination Innovation. ” DELTA Inc. is a 501 (c) (3) organization that aims to engage in charitable, benevolent, educational, civic, social, cultural, and literary activities. All activities are considered necessary and incidental to enhancing the quality of life for residents in the Northern Alabama area. Thanks to the generous support of various funding sources, students enjoyed the day at the GigaParts community room! The event featured captivating demonstrations of STEAM activities, a delicious lunch, and exciting giveaways, creating memories and learning moments that will last a lifetime.
We began the event with a motivating presentation from Dr. Angela Davis, a physicist who inspired the students to continue believing in themselves and pursue their dreams. Next, Michael Green, the Science Machine from Atlanta, Georgia, amazed us with his blend of showmanship, education, and science. Science for Everyone, founded by Michael Green, is a 20-year-old Atlanta-based science and technology company dedicated to inspiring and educating the next generation of leaders, scientists, mathematicians, innovators, and engineers. The students then participated in round-robin discussions at twelve stations covering fields related to photography, forensic science, cybersecurity, gaming, robotics, biology, drones, 3D printing, and more. Afterward, the students were provided lunch and received a charge from Mrs. Charlotte Canady-Slater, a professor at Alabama A&M University. Special thanks to the following: Dr. Rosemary Hodges, Dean of Teacher and Student Learning from the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering, for providing student presenters; Zamorah Morton, Avin Handley, Wilson Lemke, James Norris, Justin Wright, Noah Bobo, Kyler Loftin, and Sam Ballard, as well as Charles Owens of Charles Owens Photography, Lydia Owens, Chad Gross, and Calvin Rousseau of Drake State, David Jones, Dr. Valerie Green, Forensic Pathologist, and Raven Griffin. Thanks to the station presenters, the 8th-grade teachers from both schools, and 30 volunteers, Destination Innovation was a huge success and has been established as a premier event in Huntsville.