Littleton Public Schools celebrates the inspiring fourth annual Innovation Fest at Dr. Justina Ford Elementary School. Innovation Fest is a hands-on event dedicated to fostering collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity in students. This event, aligned with Ford’s vision to “empower passionate hearts and innovative minds,” brought together all grades for a day filled with curiosity and discovery.

The festivities kicked off with a dynamic assembly led by renowned scientist Steve Spangler, who energized students with an array of captivating science experiments, setting the tone for a day of immersive learning. Following this exciting start, each grade level embarked on unique, science-inspired challenges tailored to their age group.

• Kindergarten students explored concepts of buoyancy, designing objects that could both float and move on water.
• First graders took on the challenge of creating circuits, working together to test different materials and identify electrical conductors.
• Second graders experimented with bridge-building, learning structural principles to create the strongest possible designs.
• Third graders launched stomp rockets, investigating the variables that would send their creations the farthest.
• Fourth graders, inspired by the recent Olympics, designed assistive devices to aid Para-Olympians, blending engineering with empathy.
• Fifth graders used Ozobot robots to trace the historic routes of Ferdinand Magellan, crafting 3D models and programming the robots to simulate the journeys.

The day culminated in a gathering where students proudly shared their projects with classmates, discussing both their successes and challenges. Representatives from each grade presented alongside Steve Spangler, demonstrating their learning to the entire school community.

As a grand finale, all Ford students headed outside, where they joined Spangler in an uplifting Wind Bag activity—filling inflatable bags with air and creating a powerful visual symbol of their collective creativity and teamwork.

Dr. Justina Ford Elementary’s Innovation Fest was indeed a celebration of hands-on learning and shared achievement. Events like these reflect Littleton Public Schools’ commitment to cultivating environments where young minds are encouraged to explore, experiment, and grow.