Amesbury Middle School students connected with STEM professionals as part of Mass STEM Hub’s 2022 STEM Week Challenge. Read more here or below.

AMESBURY — Amesbury Middle School students took on the roles of professionals Tuesday as they gave their presentations at the school’s annual STEM Fair.

STEM – an acronym for science, technology, engineering and mathematics – has been an important part of the school experience for years but is now gaining in popularity.

Sixth-graders were recently tasked with answering the question, “How can we prepare and inspire people in Massachusetts to pursue STEM careers that have the greatest potential for impact?”

Twelve teams of two to three students got the chance to give presentations based on this question in the school’s auditorium.

The presentations focused on a variety of professions, including robotic engineering, chemistry and environmental science teaching.

Along the way, students got creative with their projects, presenting PowerPoints, video skits, and even an impromptu rap about becoming an elementary school teacher, with the beat provided by the audience. Students were very supportive of each other, offering roaring applause before and after each presentation.

Sixth-grader Liliana DeMello was among the presenters Tuesday and said she chose her profession based on her passions.

“I chose an environmental science teacher because I really like nature and stuff like that,” DeMello said. “And I kind of do like teaching people and helping people, and they would help a lot of people and the Earth.”

DeMello said it is a field she could see herself in one day and is glad to be able to present with a teammate.

Amesbury Middle School STEM coach Jennifer Donais said teaching teamwork was another goal of this project.

“I think it’s important to have the teammates, too, because it’s collaboration, it’s getting those 21st century skills,” Donais said.

The students have been working on the Mass STEM Hub STEM Week Challenge.

Mass STEM Hub is a nonprofit group whose mission is to provide schools with access to and support for applied learning and STEM education that builds knowledge and the skills students need to succeed in a rapidly changing, high-tech world.

Donais said that of the 12 teams presenting, eight would have the opportunity to present at the Boston Showcase this month.

“What’s most exciting is being able to pick eight teams today to bring them to the Boston Showcase because I think that’s the pivotal part, getting them to go to Boston and get to talk to industry professionals really in the field and get feedback from them and really present,” Donais said. “So it’s like a more real-world experience for them, while the project was real world and awesome, now they really get that agency for them to experience that with industry experts.”

Matt Petry covers Amesbury and Salisbury for The Daily News of Newburyport. Email him at: mpetry@northofboston.com.