In case you missed it: STEM is now STEAM, with the arts added to the learning formula that also includes science, technology, engineering and math. Each spring, the High Meadow School in Stone Ridge celebrates this winning combination with its Bright Ideas Festival, returning for the fourth time on Sunday, April 28. Admission is free, and it’s an event offering hands-on activities for attendees of all ages. “Space” is this year’s featured theme.
This year, they’re bringing a real planetarium to campus: the StarLab, a portable, inflatable dome that allows viewers to get up-close-and-personal with our solar system in a magical atmosphere. Mad Science of the Hudson Valley returns with a special 4 p.m. performance of Space Spectacular, which will explore the physics of weightlessness and the laws of motion and gravity. Other highlights for 2019 include Spaceman Games’ Escape Dr. Foil and the Cardboard Dimension, Robotics with PTECH: Hudson Valley Pathways Academy, Solar Telescopes with the Mid-Hudson Astronomical Association, Digital Animation with Art Effect and, of course, presentations from High Meadow students.
Bright Ideas attendees receive a discount coupon for all High Meadow summer camps and a raffle ticket for a free week of camp with Westchester Circus Arts. It’s also an Open House for parents of prospective students, with campus tours available during the festival.
The Bright Ideas Festival will be held on the campus of the High Meadow School, located at 3643 Main Street (Route 209) in Stone Ridge, on Sunday, April 28 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.. For more information, visit www.highmeadowschool.org.
Bright Ideas Festival, Sunday, Apr. 28, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Free, High Meadow School, 3643 Main St. (Rt. 209), Stone Ridge, (845) 687-4855, www.highmeadowschool.org/bright-ideas-2