Serving Barnwell County and it's neighbors since 1852
This year’s Dreams, Imagination, & Gift (DIG) Development Program STEM Festival brought all ages together to learn something new.
All of the tables represented local and prosperous career and life opportunities for Barnwell County’s youth.
Tents lined Main Street in Williston with each vendor bringing a different science or technology based activity. Students from Aiken High School’s M’Aiken Magic Robotics Team showed children how to operate ball-throwing robots and a member from the Savannah River Archaeological Research team showed kids how to sift for fossils.
Information technology company IT-ology brought AIY Voice Kits, a build-it-yourself language processor connectable to Google Assistant or other programs. This allows the user to verbally ask questions of programs on their device and issue voice commands.
The banana piano was another activity enjoyed by participants as it demonstrated the way electricity travels. Each banana was hooked up to wires and a simple circuit as well as a speaker. When a banana was touched, it sounded a musical note.
The Williston Fire Department displayed their life-saving equipment and Chief John Melton encouraged participants to ask questions.
A big hit among both children and adults was the zipline along Powell Street. Kids whizzed past the festivities and occasionally convinced their accompanying adults to join in on the fun.
Educational institutes like Denmark Technical College, Benedict College, Barnwell County Career Center, Clemson University, USC Salkehatchie, Barnwell High School, and more were showcasing the STEM opportunities they offer.
Adults were encouraged to bring their resumes as this STEM festival doubled as a job fair. Local industries like BEFESA, Swiss Krono, and various facets of the Savannah River Site were all present.
The festival also had law enforcement and military agencies like the Barnwell County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), South Carolina Highway Patrol, and the National Guard available to share how STEM is incorporated into their careers.
“I want to thank Steven Brown and DIG for another wonderful event they put on,” said Town of Williston Mayor Brett Williams at the May 8 council meeting. “He puts a lot of effort and time into that event, and Williston is lucky to have it.”
Mayor Williams, the town council, and those in attendance at the meeting applauded the DIG festival and expressed their pride and gratitude for having such a strong youth program in the town.
The DIG STEM Festival emphasized the program’s motto: Big dreams come from small places, and you can accomplish anything if you DIG deep.
