Williston Rotarian Bonnie Lord-Meunier, Assistant Director and Youth Services Librarian at the Dorothy Alling Memorial Library spoke to our club on August 13, 2026 about STEAM and why it is important to kids and the community.
STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics, and adds the Arts to traditional STEM programs. As a quick bit of history, STEM actually started as SMET (not as catchy as a phrase) back in 1957 when the US passed the National Defense Education Act to boost science and math funding after the USSR launched Sputnik. Educators and the National Science Foundation started using the term SMET in the 1990s, and in 2001, the NSF changed to the friendlier term STEM. STEAM (adding the Arts) was launched in 2006 and became mainstream in 2011. The term STEM is still used by government grants, news media, schools and job markets but STEAM is gaining steam.
The DAML offers Afterschool STEAM activities featuring hands-on activities, creative challenges, and unique learning projects along with providing STEAM backpacks filled with interactive activities and books for kiddos to take home and explore.
The future library expansion incorporates a physical STEAM room space in the building layout to include tech equipment such as 3D printers and the needed safety systems and electrical upgrades for these new technologies.
To learn more or to donate to the Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, go to: https://damlvt.org/index.php