Use of Emerging Conductive Materials for K-12 STEAM Outreach Activities and the Impact on Community Education Resilience

It is through education that we can prepare the professionals of the future that will face and develop solutions for the crisis of tomorrow. As we move forward into a future with a high level of uncertainty regarding global problems like natural disasters and medical emergencies, the need to create professionals with an avid sense of problem-solving skills and creativity becomes crucial to create a strong resilient mindset. The objective of this paper is to present how, emerging conductive materials can be used to develop different projects and activities in the fields of STEAM that could expose students, from an early age to topics like electronics, engineering problem solving, critical and creative thinking, technical skills and teamwork among other things. The projects and activities are used in various outreach activities initiatives as the main channel to expose students to these types of resources. Some of the fields related to the materials presented here are wearables, circuits and electronics, and art among others. By integrating materials like conductive dough, copper tape, and paint and even conductive thread new activities and projects can be developed that are more engaging and provide a friendlier learning experience since they have used similar materials in a non-conductive form. The importance of the element of art as a key factor to promote a creative mindset crucial for an innovative workflow is also presented.