Fentress County Schools distributing a student-created STREAM career coloring book, created by a York Institute student.
STEM Coach Sheri Stilts said the project was developed by Alyssa Green, who completed the initial design in four days. Stilts said the initiative was funded through a grant to provide younger children with a foundation for future career paths.
“We want to make sure that from a young age they know that they can do all these things if they set their mind to it, and especially with us being in a rural area, it’s hard for our kids to know what’s out there,” Stilts said. “If they can’t see it they can’t be it.”
Stilts said the book features a character named Zack the Fox who guides children through activities related to science, technology, reading, engineering, arts, and mathematics. The content includes puzzles, word searches, and coloring pages that highlight specific professions such as robotics, cyber security, and industrial design. All kindergarten through second-grade students received the book.
“All these things our kids can learn, even these large words, big words you might want to call them, they can learn those. We just have to be able to explain it to them in a way that they can understand,” Stilts said.
Stilts said the district aims to reach students during their formative years because waiting until high school to discuss career planning is often too late. The book introduces advanced concepts like information technology and financial analysis to help students begin forming goals early in their education.
Stilts said the student creator has a history of volunteering with the local STEM bus and used her creative talents to give back to the community. The project also emphasizes non-traditional career paths for students, such as encouraging girls to explore carpentry or boys to consider nursing.
“Everybody has some talent that they can give and help the community,” Stilts said. “So it’s just a matter of figuring out what that talent is and being able to share it with others.”
The coloring book also includes a map of Tennessee and mentions roles such as copywriters and librarians to show the continued importance of literacy in the technology age.