If you want to know how successful Kerrville Independent School District’s science, technology, engineering, and math programs are, ask eighth-graders Bailey King and Ryleigh Bell. They will be the first to tell you why they love Hal Peterson Middle School’s science and engineering programs.

The girls were in an engineering lab, showcasing their 3-D printing and video editing skills and their overall proficiency in STEM education.

“The semester before, we did a lot of programming,” King said. “A few things we worked on is like one (as she points to a robot).”

King’s enthusiasm seems to be unbridled; her friend, Bell, took on an animation project using Adobe Premiere — video editing software. On Tuesday, the girls were just two of dozens of students and parents engaging with science and technology projects across the expansive middle school campus. The STEM night featured many external partners, including Peterson Health, Schreiner University, and Riverside Nature Center.

“I think it’s going awesome,” said first-year Peterson Principal Sonny Mouton. “We have a lot of parents to provide support and we have a great turnout. The students are excited and I’m excited.”

With the April 8 total solar eclipse as a backdrop, the STEM education event attracted a scientist from NASA, who explained the significance of the celestial event.

Of course, the hands-on stuff proved to be a significant attraction for students, including a live snake that Schreiner University offered. Schreiner professors Kylie Miller and Chris Distel had plenty of demonstrations, along with university students to help explain their respective science work to the middle schoolers.

All of it was a win for Kerrville Independent School District Superintendent Brent Ringo, who perused the displays with his elementary-school-age sons.

“This allows our students to see all the opportunities out there,” Ringo said. “It lets them pique their interest in things that they may have never thought possible.”

KISD offers robotics teams and a budding aviation program. However, not all things were directly related to STEM. In one classroom, eighth grader Brianna Painter presented a PowerPoint about the entrepreneurial journey—one so thorough that an adult could have given it. In another class, math teachers supervised making slime — out of glue, borax and some water. It was a chaotic but inspired mess.