Eastern Arizona College, in collaboration with Gila Valley Healthcare, debuted the Gila Valley Health and STEAM Festival to the Gila Valley region in 2017 and continues to support its presence in 2019. This event hosts over 1,800 people with activities throughout the day, centered around science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math.

What was the event?

The Gila Valley Health and STEAM Festival offered health screenings, blood draws, and informational booths as well as different STEAM demonstrations like the Chemistry Demonstration that showed the power of chemistry through fire, ice, and colors. The festival also hosted a Childhood Cancer Awareness 5K for the community, and showcased local artists at the EAC Art Exhibit. Additional activities included demonstrations about farming technology, the river floodplain, water conservation, chalk art, and more.

What was the impact?

With support from RAIN funding, the festival brought in over 1,800 people from the community to have a better understanding of health, science, technology, agriculture, and the arts.

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The Arizona Rural Activation and Innovation Network (RAIN) is funded by the National Science Foundation to oversee grant funding for informal STEM education projects in four rural Arizona communities: Cochise County, Graham and Greenlee County, the Verde Valley, and the Navapache/White Mountains region. RAIN acts as a resource for best practices in informal STEM program development and works to highlight effective STEM programs, employers  and organizations across the state of Arizona. Interested in applying for a grant? Visit our website today and learn more about the opportunities in your community.