They made their way a few blocks to the city's Baker Park, where tables and booths were set up for the 2023 Maryland STEM Festival.
The event was meant to increase interest in STEM subjects — science, technology, engineering, and math.
The parade is a fun way to get kids and others thinking more about STEM topics and jobs, said Phil Rogofsky, the festival's founder and executive director.
Some people think that math and science topics are dry and dull, Rogofsky said, but he hopes to "show the 'wow' factor" of the fields.
He tries to show how STEM is part of people's everyday lives, and tell students how they can use STEM fields to help make their lives better, he said.
Mary Bishop, a computer science teacher at Tuscarora High School and the advisor for the school's Computer Science Honors Society, said she's seen more students interested in STEM in recent years, but still hopes to see more.
She runs coding clubs at the middle schools whose students will attend Tuscarora to help get students involved in STEM topics.
She also sets up virtual meetings with young information technology professionals so students can get an idea of what types of careers are available. It helps "just getting them to ask questions and talk to people who are doing it," she said.
One of the concerns for educators and employers is figuring out how to attract more women into STEM fields.
Although women make up nearly half of the employees in the American economy, they hold only 28 percent of STEM jobs, according to the American Association of University Women.
Women make up only 25 percent of computing jobs and 16.5 percent of jobs in the engineering field, according to the association.
Jen Purgason, a math teacher at Linganore High School and advisor for the school's Mu Alpha Theta math honors society, said she's definitely seeing more girls taking her calculus classes than she saw 20 years ago.
"Not only are they taking the class, but they're excelling," Purgason said.
Lucy Ellis, the vice president of the honors society, said her club is also trying to find ways to get more elementary and middle school girls to join STEM activities.
Ellis said she got interested in STEM topics when she took an Introduction to Engineering Design class in school. She hopes to major in chemical engineering in college.
The introductory class let her learn computer-aided design and other STEM techniques.
What she learned made her think, "I could do this for the rest of my life," she said.
©2023 The Frederick News-Post (Frederick, Md.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
