The Help Group's STEM3 Academy to Host Free, Interactive STEM Fairs In Los Angeles and Orange County

Very Special Innovation Fairs will include activities for children of all ages and abilities

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Sep 05, 2019, 14:05 ET

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Help Group's STEM³ Academy, the only K-12 school in the nation to provide a STEM curriculum to students with social and learning differences, announces the return of the Very Special Innovation Fair to Los Angeles and its first year in Orange County. The free, family-friendly event is a showcase of discovery and imagination that is equal parts science-fair, high-tech exhibition, art show and community carnival.

Inspired by the maker movement, the Very Special Innovation Fair will include activities and experiences for children of all ages and abilities. Hundreds of young STEM enthusiasts and their families will have the opportunity to build things, get involved in experiments and demonstrations, and take various gadgets for a test drive. Attendees will have a first-person experience in a range of STEM-related fields, including rocketry, robotics, and virtual reality – all straight from some of the region's most innovative companies.

A sample of activities and exhibitors confirmed for this year include:

Virtual Reality with Farmers Insurance
Coding, 3D Painting and Mixed Reality by Microsoft
LA Zoo Interactive Exhibit
Hands-on Science Project by Discovery Cube
Aerospace Hardware Display by Raytheon
ISS-Above: Mission Control
The Ultimate Drone Demonstration by DroneBase
PAGO Paper Engineering
Banana Music by GEARup4Youth
Stomp Rockets by STEMup4Youth

The Very Special Innovation Fair is hosted by STEM³ Academy, a pioneering school operated by The Help Group that serves K-12 students who are passionate about STEM topics and benefit from more individualized educational instruction due to social and learning differences. With two existing campuses in the Los Angeles area, STEM³ Academy recently opened the doors to its first campus in Irvine for the 2019-2020 school year. The school prepares students for meaningful careers in a variety of fields, such as engineering, cyber-security, biomedical, coding, game development, accounting, web design, IT and the humanities. In addition to STEM³ Academy, The Help Group Learning Center is also housed on the same campus and supports both special needs and general education K-12 homeschooled students in academic and nonacademic subjects.

"There is a growing need for qualified STEM talent in Southern California and the Very Special Innovation Fair helps cultivate and nurture young talent. The fair is a place where children can explore and experience various STEM-related activities that they are interested in," said Dr. Ellis Crasnow, director of STEM³ Academy and STEM education at The Help Group.

Dr. Susan Berman, Chief Operating Officer of The Help Group added, "We're excited about the amazing group of local companies and organizations that are joining us this year and are greatly appreciative of their support."

The Very Special Innovation Fair in Los Angeles will take place on Saturday, Sept. 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the STEM³ Academy Valley Glen campus (6455 Coldwater Canyon, Valley Glen). The Orange County Innovation Fair will be hosted on Saturday, Oct. 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the new STEM³ Academy Orange County campus (17861 Von Karman Ave, Irvine).

To learn more, visit: https://stem3academy.org/innovation-fair/.

About The Help Group
Founded in 1975, The Help Group is the largest, most innovative and comprehensive nonprofit of its kind in the United States serving children, adolescents and young adults with special needs related to autism spectrum disorder, learning disabilities, ADHD, developmental delays, abuse and emotional challenges and has recently expanded its reach to include LGBTQ+ young people and homeschooled students. www.thehelpgroup.org

SOURCE The Help Group