Pi Day Event Promises Fun and Learning for Local Students

Many an adult can recall having endured middle or high school math classes in which pi, symbolized, π, was used in mathematical calculations. Pi is a number situated between 3 and 4, with the value of 3.14159... The number is eternal, making its value simply stated and used as 3.14 in

The value, 3.14 can also be looked at in a different way, relating to time and dates, to mean March 14. In recent years, March 14 has come to be known as Pi Day, or Pie Day, as some observe it, in which mass amounts of sweet, tasty pie is consumed at Pi Parties held in workplaces or bake shops.

On Saturday, March 16, Gennifer Williams, Director of the non-profit, Operation Refuge, based in Inkster, will be presenting a Pi Day for local middle and high school students. Operations Refuge's community partner, Starfish Family Services, will host the event at their Inkster offices. The day's events will put the focus on STEAM educational areas: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math.

Williams says the goals of the event are threefold. First, the events are designed to get kids to realize that there exist other career opportunities within the STEAM areas. Often, the perception is that STEAM only endorses math, chemistry and engineering, In fact, STEAM can be very broad. As an example, Williams says maybe a student has their heart set on being a beautician and not a mathematician. A STEAM-related career path could be working as a chemist to create products for hair dressing. A student with a dream of being an artist could one day use their artistic talent to design the bottles for the hair dressing products, or the advertising. "Getting them to see that STEM concepts, or STEAM concepts are everywhere around them, no matter what you decide to go into," Williams says of her goal to enlighten the student who will attend the Pi Day event.

In addition, Williams says getting the kids interested in STEAM areas of learning is the goal behind the fun activities planned for Pi Day. Events will include a math Olympics, Pi art projects, games involving art and math concepts, and a Pi Memorization Contest to see who knows the most digits in proper order of the famous mathematical expression. The games are designed to perhaps trigger a new interest.

The third goal of the event is to get students to socialize with one another. Students in Inkster attend different school districts and often may not get to meet other students living only a few blocks away. "Most of the kids here, they don't know other kids in their community," says Williams. She hopes students attending Pi Day will get to connect with other like-minded students.

The day will also feature prizes, light snacks, and of course, pie. The free event is for boys and girls in middle and high school and is not limited to Inkster residents. Registration is strongly encouraged. The event will run from 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Starfish Offices located at 30000 Hiveley in Inkster, south of Cherry Hill and west of Middlebelt.

For more information, or to register or volunteer, please contact Gennifer Williams at [email protected] or call 313-686-9306.