Green STEM Fair
The Environmental Education: Green STEM Fair aims to spread and expand knowledge on various sustainability concepts to elementary students by collaborating with SJSU students to provide lessons and interactive activities. By fostering engagement and personal connections, the goal is to bring students closer to the environment and nature.
In the 2024-25 academic year, CommUniverCity collaborated with Rachel Lazzeri-Aerts’s ENVS 158: Environmental Education class to deliver impactful lessons on sustainable habits to K-5th-grade students at Empire Gardens, Olinder Elementary, and Washington Elementary school, and 6-8th-grade students at Sacred Heart Nativity School. The lessons covered crucial topics, such as environmental careers, water pollution, wildfire impacts, composting, melting ice and sea level rise, and freshwater distribution
Overall, students across all three schools participated in experiential, age-appropriate, environmental education activities that connected science content to future career pathways.
They were introduced to a wide range of green STEM careers, including Environmental Engineer, Water Resource Specialist, Wildlife Ecologist, Energy Auditor, Renewable Energy Technician, Food Scientist, Oceanographer, Marine Biologist, Entomologist, Urban Farmer, Hydrologist, and Atmospheric Scientist. These events successfully deepened students’ environmental awareness while sparking interest in sustainability-focused careers that are essential to addressing today’s climate and ecological challenges.
Project Impacts
80% of of students identified and expressed interest in two or more environmental careers. “Environmental Scientist” emerged as the most popular career choice, selected by 39% of the students
Students expressed enthusiasm for the ‘Wildfire Impacts’ station, reporting a deeper understanding of wildfire spread, preparation, fire risk, and the relationship between wildfires and climate change
The composting station also resonated well, with 37% of of students highlighting what they learned about ecosystem services and the composting process.
Participants*
Community Engaged Learners*
Cumulative Hours
Investment Value*
Faculty Lead
Rachel Lazzeri-Aerts (Spring 2024)
* Community Participants include K–12 students engaged in educational activities and workshops, along with residents attending neighborhood events and celebrations.
* Community Engaged Learners (CEL) include SJSU students who apply course-based knowledge through activities and presentations for K–12 students, as well as Public Health, Communications, and Educational Counseling interns who work directly with the CommUniverCity team to implement projects.
* Investment Value encapsulates the total monetary worth of the CEL volunteer hours contributed to the project.