The July 10 game will feature youth pregame S.T.E.M. hands-on experiences
SEATTLE – The Seattle Storm has announced that they have partnered with Microsoft for ‘Storm Into S.T.E.M.’ on July 10 against the Los Angeles Sparks. Tipoff is set for Noon PT at KeyArena.
“We are thrilled to partner with Microsoft to expand our S.T.E.M. platform at Storm clinics and at the annual S.T.E.M. game,” said Storm President & GM Alisha Valavanis. “S.T.E.M. education and building confidence for students, especially for young girls in science, technology, engineering and math, is critically important; the chance to create a positive environment around STEM and sports is truly unique.”
As part of the educational day, youth in attendance can participate in hands-on math and S.T.E.M. related activities, including using math to determine if they would be able to dunk on the moon using force plates that measure the mechanics of their jump. Microsoft will also have a hands on experience on the concourse that will allow students to build robotic models to understand the anatomy and biomechanics of the human hand and conduct trials visualizing data to generate ideas and improve its performance.
“In bringing STEM and sports together, we hope to create a hands-on learning experience designed to make STEM exciting and relatable, breaking down the preconceived notions that science is boring and math is hard,” said Marcie Nymark, Microsoft’s Director of Brand Partnerships. “The aim is to make STEM concepts fun, sparking curiosity in and outside of the classroom. The company promotes and supports STEM education, specifically computer science education, through Microsoft Philanthropies, which partners with nonprofits, governments, educators and other businesses to make computer science education more accessible to all students.”
Along with Microsoft, XBOT Robotics will also be in attendance on July 10, assisting with S.T.E.M. activities throughout KeyArena. XBOT Robotics’ activities throughout the concourse will include a FIRST Tech Challenge competition field, with two FTC robots that kids in grades 8-12 will be able to operate. A FIRST Robotics basketball throwing robot will also be on the concourse that kids will have an opportunity to play catch with.
XBOT will also feature a FIRST Lego League table and display for students in grades 5-9 as well as a 3D printer display. In addition to that, XBOT will have flyers about FIRST robotics teams and XBOT Robotics, which is a Seattle based non-profit organization offering STEM activities, focused on the students of SE Seattle.
iFLY, an indoor skydiving experience, will have a wind tunnel on the concourse to simulate skydiving for those who wish to partake.
The KidsQuest Children’s Museum will also be on the concourse, where youth can create a wiggly robot using common household items such as a toothbrush and pool noodles, and put their robot to the test to see if it is strong enough to topple a block tower.
As part of StormFit presented by Kaiser Permanente, Microsoft joined three StormFit clinics in June for the region’s youth, featuring basketball drills that incorporated math and S.T.E.M.-related problem solving with wearable technology.
ABOUT MICROSOFT
Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) enables digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. Its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.
ABOUT THE SEATTLE STORM
The two-time WNBA champion Seattle Storm is one of six independently owned teams in the WNBA, the world’s most successful women’s professional team sports league. Established in 2000, the Storm is committed to bringing outstanding professional basketball to a fan base rich with tradition and support. The Storm leads the way for change in the community with outreach programs for youth basketball, health and fitness. The organization looks to be an inspiration for girls and women while providing support and motivation to better the Puget Sound. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit StormBasketball.com.
ABOUT STORMCARES
StormCares is the centerpiece of the Seattle Storm’s purpose, in which the franchise partners with organizations in the greater Puget Sound region to share core values and strengthen the community. Striving to connect leaders, mentors and role models with the community, StormCares develops life-long healthy habits through empowerment, inclusion and education. Also known as the ‘Starting 5,’ the five pillars of StormCares include: StormAcademy, StormAssist, StormFit, StormUnity and StormWellness. The StormCares’ website includes sign-up details for future events, as well as separate informative pages for each of the five pillars. Fans can now easily donate ‘Ticket 4 Kids,’ and the website also contains pictures and recaps regarding past community service events. To view the StormCares website, click here.