President Obama Praises SciTech Kids at White House Student Film Festival

Film showcases STEAM program through 8 year old eyes

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Mar 02, 2014, 05:23 ET

NEW YORK, March 2, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- On Friday, February 28^th, Gabrielle Nafie and Miles Pilchik, both 8, and their film Full S[T]EAM Ahead: How Technology Rocks the Classroom, were featured at the inaugural White House Student Film Festival.

The film, narrated by Gabrielle and Miles shows how SciTech Kids afterschool, weekend and summer programs are rocking the classroom with STEAM programming. The kids along with Kim Magloire, President of SciTech Kids created the three-minute film for submission.

President Barack Obama speaks at the first White House Student Film Festival, Friday, Feb. 28, 2014, in the East Room at the White House in Washington. Student filmmakers pictured, Miles Pilchik, left, and Gabrielle Nafie, second right, of SciTech Kids in New York, Kids; Kyle Weintraub, second left, from David Posnack Jewish Day School in Davie, Fla.; and Shelly Ortiz, of Metropolitan Arts Institute, from Phoenix, Ariz. Photo: Beth Silver. (PRNewsFoto/SciTech Kids, Beth Silver) (PRNewsFoto/SCITECH KIDS)

In his remarks, President Obama, said, "You've got Gabrielle Nafie and Miles Pilchik from SciTech Kids in New York. They showed us that their class isn't just dreaming about going into space, they're actually going into space. They designed density experiments and used a 3-D printer to build tiny satellites to hold them. And then they actually launched a giant balloon that carried their satellites up to the edge of space - very cool – so they could collect the data. When I was in elementary school, I was not launching satellites into space." (video)

"SciTech Kids gives young children the opportunity to see Science and Technology without limits," says Kim Magloire of SciTech Kids. "Having the ability to have our students' work showcased at the White House is truly amazing but hearing President Obama, speak about our kids and their work with such excitement is beyond anything I ever could have hoped for," adds Magloire.

In November, the White House Student Film Festival announced a call for video submissions that highlight the power of technology in schools. Out of 2500 submissions, 16 films were chosen.

"What makes SciTech Kids different is our belief that STEAM should be introduced to children as early as possible. The PongSat mission, an initiative of JP Aerospace allowed our kids to conceptualize and then conduct their own experiments was truly remarkable. Students even designed the PongSat balls using a 3D printer," adds Magloire.

"Gabrielle and Miles were great ambassadors for SciTech and their schools. From Gabrielle's 'thank you' to Miles' high five, we could not be more proud of them. As we were leaving the White House, they were already talking about next year's festival. We are very proud of them."

To watch the SciTech Kids video click here and for more information visit sci-techkids.com and whitehouse.gov/filmfestival.

Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click appropriate link.
Kim M. Magloire - http://www.profnetconnect.com/kim_m._magloire

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140302/NY75049

SOURCE SciTech Kids