Team 2 STEMFest Proposal

Daniel Brodsky, Angel Hoang, Marshall McCready, Tommy Zhu, Jaymin Shah
The University of Texas at Dallas
TEAM 2 STEMFEST PROPOSAL

Table of Contents

Introduction.3

Background.4

Problem...6

Purpose8

Plan..9

Schedule.11

Staffing...13

Budget....15

Conclusion.18

References..19

Appendix A - Authorization..20

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TEAM 2 STEMFEST PROPOSAL

INTRODUCTION

Most people can still remember their very first roller coaster ride. Imagine being just a
young child at Six Flags for your very first time. You get into one of the middle cars, and slowly,
the ride starts. At first you think there is nothing to it. But as you see the ground disappear, you
start feeling butterflies build up in your stomach as the people below became smaller and
smaller. You wish to stop the ride. You dont want to continue, but you know it is too late. And
then the first car starts to drop, followed by the second. You hold your breath, grasp the handles,
and Well, you dont really remember the rest. Before you know it, youre right back at the
start. Now that youre thinking about your first roller coaster, whether it was at Six Flags or
somewhere else, think about never having been able to have that experience. The fact of the
matter is that many of the less fortunate families in Dallas dont have the luxury to take their kids
to Six Flags to ride roller coasters because the money is better spent on the basic necessities of
life. Of course, not being able to ride roller coasters isnt the crux of the issue. The students in far
too many schools in DFW are not provided the same resources to achieve. With a lack of proper
funding, these schools require a little bit of a push to ensure that the students end up on the right
path.
That is where Six Flags, the worlds largest amusement park corporation, comes in. Six
Flags will partner with Communities in Schools of Central Texas, a nonprofit organization that
seeks to provide a community of support to underprivileged children so that they can reach
academic success. This organization has already had a tremendous impact on thousands of
underprivileged children that have multiple problems which serve as barriers to their education,
including poverty, hunger, and more. Communities in Schools has agreed to partner with our
corporation, Six Flags, in order to reach out to students in schools that need it. More specifically,
through their network of volunteers and the resources that Six Flags can provide, various schools
will be targeted to have a day at Six Flags. While riding roller coasters all day for free would be a
blast, Six Flags aims to target a social need that these students face. Many of these schools have
a large minority population that faces high dropout rates, so Six Flags and CIS would like to
make this experience educational and fun at the same time.

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TEAM 2 STEMFEST PROPOSAL

BACKGROUND

In order to fully understand the social issue that needs to be addressed, it is important to
have a firm understanding of STEM and why there is a problem. STEM is an acronym that
stands for science, technology, engineering, and math. These four fields are deeply intertwined in
the real world, and they are all fields that every student should be somewhat knowledgeable
about to ensure success in the future. One of the key portions of the public education agenda in
the United States is actually to push for further teachings in the STEM areas at an earlier age to
entice students to go towards that path. Especially with so many jobs in the market, it is
important that students at least have the ability to go into a STEM career. In fact, according to the
National Center for College and Career Transitions, about 20 percent of careers directly relate to
science, technology, engineering, and math (Elgart, 2015). With many of these careers being in
the fastest growing areas in the job sectors throughout the United States, pushing for STEM is
imperative at a younger age. Also, technology jobs are projected to outnumber jobs in almost
every other sector in the coming years. There is also the financial incentive to pursue a career in
STEM. Dorning (2014) concluded the following: STEM jobs generally enjoy a wage premium
over non-STEM jobs, reporting that those employed in the former earn 26 percent more than
those employed in the latter (Dorning, 2014, p.1). The ability to earn more throughout the
lifetime on top of the plethora of jobs available in the fields makes STEM one of the top fields to
enter into. Additionally, a solid understanding of technology is almost expected of young adults
entering the workforce today. Without a solid understanding of the four major areas of STEM, a
wide variety of jobs suddenly become unavailable to the student. To put STEM into even more
perspective, Adkins (2012) found that, Only 5% of U.S. workers are employed in fields related
to science and engineering, yet they are responsible for more than 50% of our sustained
economic expansion (Adkins, 2012). There is a massive urgency to develop a stronger
workforce in science, technology, engineering, and math in the United States for the benefit of
the economy and society at large. Thus, the size and composition of the STEM workforce both
need to be fundamentally altered in the very near future.
With all of these benefits listed out, it is hard to imagine students not choosing to go into
these fields. Well, the truth is that an insufficient number of kids end up pursuing these careers
despite such obvious benefits that can be gained. As Bidwell (2015) of US News pointed out
recently: About half of the workforce in engineering and advanced manufacturing is approaching
retirement, and the growth in the percentage of young workers is not keeping pace. The number
of young STEM workers has actually declined since 2001. The percentages of engineering and
computing workers under 25 have decreased by 25 percent and 15 percent, respectively
(Bidwell, 2015). Evidently, in the last fifteen years the number of STEM-related jobs may have
significantly gone up, but the number of students taking these jobs has dropped. This has nothing
to do with a lack of jobs, as pointed out earlier, so the explanation points elsewhere. It has to do
with middle school and high school interest in STEM careers reaching an all time low point.
Now that we have a little bit more background on STEM, lets start relating this back
home to Dallas. The Dallas schools that will be targeted by Six Flags and CIS have primarily
minority populations and are severely under resourced. With that being said, it is imperative to
acknowledge the gaps that are widening in the STEM workforce as you are reading this. Women,
African Americans, and Latinos are all greatly underrepresented in the STEM fields (Disparities
in STEM Employment by Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin, 2013). If something doesnt change
soon, then a large number of these minorities are going to become obsolete in the new economy.

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TEAM 2 STEMFEST PROPOSAL

As the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (2015) stated, Higher education
experts say this gap poses an alarming problem not only to universities but also to the nation as a
whole (Underrepresented Minorities in STEM, 2015). Underrepresented minorities complete
high school at lower rates than their peers. They also score lower on their standardized test
scores, which can serve as a barrier to college admission. The retention to graduation rates for
underrepresented minorities who do enroll as undergraduate STEM majors are comparatively
low as well. The current trends caused by the lack of education and training in these fields is
going to result in even bigger problems for these minorities than they already face. According to
data from Change the Equation, the STEM workforce is no more diverse now than it was back in
the early 2000s. The percentage of African American and Latino kids who say theyre interested
now in STEM is considerably lower than in 2001 (Encouraging Minority Students in Science
Careers, 2010, p.3). Take a look at the figure below to see some of the startling statistics
regarding these minority groups when compared to the other groups throughout America.
If you take a closer look at the graphic, you notice that the white bar for African
Americans and Hispanics is considerably smaller than the bars for Asians and Whites. This poses
a serious issue that must be attended to. Most of this problem comes from a lack of access.
Underrepresented minorities are actually more likely to go into the STEM field if they
experience exposure early on, but that simply isnt happening in many of these less fortunate
school districts across the DFW area (Ayala, 2013). If you dont have the opportunity to explore
STEM while you are young, you never know if you are truly gifted in those areas. This STEM
crisis can only be solved for if someone begins to reach out to these students and provide access
to resources that they dont currently have.

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TEAM 2 STEMFEST PROPOSAL

PROBLEM

Six Flags STEMFest program addresses the issues of Dallas ISD students lack of
accessible resources in STEM classes, the absence of diversity in STEM fields, the hesitancy
students face due to the fields uniformity, and students low expectations for their academic
careers.

Students Lack of Resources

The primary issue our program faces is the lack of accessible educational resources in
STEM subjects to low income students attending underperforming schools here in Dallas.
This issue is present in a shocking number of schools in the Dallas school district and
poses a serious threat to the future of Dallass industry. Dallas ISD is home to the most
schools labeled Improvement Required or IR by the Texas Education Agency by a wide
margin (Targeted IR and FIR School Improvement Plans, 2015). This means the
students attending these schools are not receiving an adequate educational and perform
poorly on standardized tests. STEM classes are difficult to begin with, and the absence of
proper instruction and aid for students proves detrimental to their academic career as well
as their working career. STEM centered occupations have become vastly important in
todays modern digital world; the STEM industry is the fastest growing industry in the
country (Adkins, 2012). Despite this, many Dallas students will not pursue a degree or
job in these fields or even consider them as a potential occupation. This contradiction
results from underprivileged students inability to receive the assistance they need and
deserve from their underperforming schools. The number of students entering STEM
fields needs to increase to match Dallass demand for jobs that require knowledge in
those areas. In order to motivate students to enter the field, schools must, at the very least,
possess the resources to enable students to fully learn STEM subjects.

STEM Diversification
The absence of diversity in STEM fields is another issue we address with our program.
According to the National Science Foundation, 84% of working professionals in STEM
fields are white or asian males (Bidwell, 2015). Diversity is vital to any business,
especially one of the fastest growing industries. There needs to be people of different
backgrounds involved in the business so that a variety of unique ideas and perspectives
can be brought to the table. Women and those of different ethnicities need to be
incorporated into the STEM industry in order for it further develop. An increase in
diversity in STEM fields would revolutionize the field and serve to advance industry and
technology.

Reluctance to Enter STEM

The fields uniformity is predicament not just in of itself, but also because it discourages
many students from entering because of the notion that they don't fit the only successful
mold. This lack of diversity presents an unfortunate mental and emotional roadblock to
students who would not add to the 84%. Students need to be inspired to enter the field
regardless of their race and gender. They need to understand that one does not have to be
a white or asian male to study and work in a STEM sector.

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TEAM 2 STEMFEST PROPOSAL

Indifference Towards College

The last problem Six Flags and CIS are confronting is underprivileged students narrow
expectations for their academic careers. Many of these junior high and high schoolers do
not plan on going to college or even consider it as an option because of the environment
in which they were raised. Unfortunately, they view high school graduation as the end of
their education and go to work right after. These students should know that not only is
college a viable, important option for their future careers, but also that that the STEM
field is a growing industry in need of their unique perspectives and ideas.

In short, the program will face the problems of Dallas ISD students lack of accessible
resources in STEM classes, the absence of diversity in STEM fields, the hesitancy students face
due to the fields uniformity, and students low expectations for their academic careers. These are
all incredibly important issues that, if not addressed, could threaten Dallass industry, economy,
and society.

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TEAM 2 STEMFEST PROPOSAL

PURPOSE

The purpose of the program is to address the problems explained above. Its first purpose
is to be a powerful educational resource for underprivileged students. It will educate students in
Dallas ISDs underperforming junior high and high schools in a multitude of STEM concepts and
subjects in a unique and exciting way. Students at underperforming schools need resources to
boost their subpar education. StemFest will serve as one of these much needed academic aid for
subjects such as physics, chemistry, biology, etc. for students who do not have the supplemental
help they need. Not only will StemFest be a resource in of itself, it will also provide further
resources to students in the form of one-on-one tutoring, information about online tools and
supplemental instruction, and more. StemFest and the guidance it provides to students will help
them understand STEM concepts and excel in classes. To accomplish this, the Six Flags Over
Texas park will combine the schooling with the entertainment of rides and games to ingrain the
concepts into the students minds in a way a classroom never could.
Secondly, the purpose is to inspire the youth to enter the STEM field by illustrating the
value of various sciences, their vital impact on todays modern world, and the need for more
STEM workers in the growing industry. In our program, students will learn through real world
examples of when certain sciences are used to accomplish important tasks. This hands-on
approach not only makes the learning process more fun and illustrative, but it also sparks
increased interest in STEM careers for the students. Furthermore, students will hear how the
STEM field needs their unique viewpoints and that, no matter their race or gender, they will be
an important and valuable asset. By explaining this, thousands of Dallas ISD students could
potentially decide to follow their dreams of designing robots or studying deep sea plant life and
become professional STEM workers.
The third purpose is to inform the students of how significant attending a college or
university is for their future. Many of the students who will be in attendance come from low
income families whose parents have little to no college level education. As a result of their
example, students also do not plan on seeking higher level education. If they understood the
importance of a college degree and the difference they could make with it, their whole outlook
on their education as well as their life could change for the better. Our teachers and working
professionals will elucidate this important concept to the students and offer them support in their
decision to attend college.
We want the best for the Dallas ISD students and the best for the city of Dallas. By helping these
students learn, inspiring them to go to college, and encouraging them to enter STEM fields, its
not just the students dreams that will come true, but also the dreams of Dallas STEM industry
and of those who want the best for the city.

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TEAM 2 STEMFEST PROPOSAL

PLAN

Partner with Communities in Schools

Communities in Schools is one of the largest and most effective organization dedicated to
keeping kids in school and helping them succeed in life.Communities in schools helps
students in all aspects of life and nurtures success, health, and a meaningful life.
Communities in Schools believes its relationships, not programs, that change children.
We chose to partner with CIS because they are more than just an after school program or
just a one time aid. CIS is involved with the students they work with and that vision will
make this successful. CIS specializes in many different aspects of the students lives. Six
flags will help address academic assistance and enrichment. Our goal is to provide a push
behind academia for CIS and the other schools we influence. Communities in Schools
will help us identify schools and areas who would benefit most from our event.
Furthermore they will help us design curriculum and narrow down specific concepts that
students are having trouble with. our goal is to take these difficult concepts and transform
them into a fun applicable experience for the students.

Reserved Day at Six Flags

Six Flags will offer an exclusive day closed to the general public for this event. Six flags
will assume all regular cost of doing business such as operating the rides, staffing, and
concessions. This day is only for the kids, volunteers, and parents of the participating
schools.

Games and Activities

In collaboration with teachers, students, and STEM experts we will design games and
activities incorporated with existing games and rides that will help students learn about
STEM topics. We hope to bring in expert roller coaster designers and engineers to expose
the students to the science behind the thrill. For example, hands on learning about the
physics of rollercoasters.

Park Layout
Different sections of the park will be specified for certain subject areas. The Spain
section of the park will be focused on biology and health. In this section the students will
find stations such as testing samples from the line railings and roller coasters to analyze
the bacteria and germs on heavily used objects. The goal of this section is to provide
insight on how disgusting public areas actually are. This will hopefully emphasize the
importance of hygiene and washing your hands. Perhaps these experiments could spark
inspiration for careers in the medical field. The extreme area of the park that includes
rides like Superman and Shock Wave will be focused on physics and engineering. While
riding Superman, students will be able to learn about pressure and weight. We will have
an expert on site to describe how the pressure builds up while weighing the riders and
why riders experience weightlessness on the top of the ride. The Shock Wave is a great
example of G-Force and centrifugal rotation. Students can use a speedometer to clock the
amount of speed and energy it takes to make not only one loop but two loops. The
France section of the park that includes rides like The Texas Giant, Titan, and the Log
Flume will include chemistry lessons. At the Log Flume students can test the acidity of

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TEAM 2 STEMFEST PROPOSAL

the water and measure the depreciation of the walls. It takes a lot to maintain a ride with
water and the Six Flags experts can show the caution and care Six Flags has to take to
maintain their rides. Students can analyze the resistance and longevity of one material
over the other. On the Texas Giant students can learn about chemical reactions, heat
capacity and fire. There is a large fire tower as you roar across the big turn on the Texas
Giant. Students can ignite the fire and learn what Six Flags uses to keep the flame
contained. The new Justice League ride will be used to display technology and
innovation. Students can get a behind the scenes look at programming and animation. The
Justice League ride uses new 4D effects to enhance the overall rider experience. Students
will be split up into groups and will be assigned a map and schedule to follow so that we
can even out the ride capacity.

Repetition and Retention

If our first event is successful we hope to repeat every semester and impact students for
years to come. As our program grows we would like to extend invitations to schools
outside of Dallas ISD and into other underperforming schools in the metroplex. The next
area of high need is Tarrant County. We would switch off every semester between Dallas
and Tarrant County. Ensure that all schools get to be involved at least once a year and
encourage involvement from new and returning students. We hope for returning students
to be able to assess retention on material.

Feedback and Performance

Our success will be measured by the feedback from the teachers of students that attend.
We hope to influence their outlook on STEM, spark ideas, and increase overall academic
performance. As the event continues over a long period of time we hope to see spikes in
school and district performance on test scores and other ratings. This increase will help
better the schools in the DFW area, enhance quality of life, and attract businesses and
families. STEM focused companies are often criticized for their lack of diversity. More
often than not the industry is dominated by white males and asians. There is a large
demand for minority workers in STEM related fields. We aim to satisfy this need and
provide a platform for at risk youth to explore career options.

T-Shirts
For logistical purposes, each school will be assigned a T-Shirt with a different color. The
colors will help us identify school groups while moving between rides and activities.
They will also help us distinguish between lunch groups as we stagger throughout the
day. The T-Shirts will also serve as an advertisement. We can use the shirts to market the
event and include any other sponsors and partners on the shirt.

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TEAM 2 STEMFEST PROPOSAL

SCHEDULE

Phase 1 : Develop relationship with CIS to understand the needs of the children they impact.
Reach out to other schools that CIS does not work with to incorporate them into our program.
Focus a lot on involving schools in Dallas ISD.

Phase 2 : Plan and coordinate STEM education games. Collaborate with teachers in the schools
we are inviting to help assess educational needs and design games and activities around that.

Phase 3 : Organize event logistics and timing. Game additions and supplies.

Phase 4 : Develop feedback mechanisms. Find ways to measure success and retention

Overall Schedule

Spring Event 2016:

November 12, 2015 - Start reaching out to schools
Monday, February 1, 2016 - Send parents information about event and option to
volunteer
Friday, March 25, 2016 - Send home permission slips for students
Friday, April 1, 2016 - Permission slips due
Wednesday, April 6, 2015 - Day of event

Fall Event 2016:

Monday, August 22, 2016 - Send parents information about event and option to
volunteer
Friday, September 30, 2016 - Send home permission slips for students
Friday, October 14, 2016 - Permission slips due
Wednesday, October 19, 2016 - Day of Event

The event dates were deduced from analyzing three factors: the weather, Dallas ISDs
school schedule, and Six Flags revenue. The weather should be warm enough to be comfortable
on the rides, but not too hot. On the days of April 6 and October 19 of this year, the temperature
was in the low 70s, which would be perfect for the events. Dallas ISDs school calendar labels
April 6 and October 19 normal operating days for the school with no STAR tests or holidays.
Also, the events will be held on Wednesdays as they are relatively slower business days for Six
Flags.
We are informing parents approximately two months prior to the events in order for them
to make arrangements with their jobs or other responsibilities should they want to volunteer.
Permission slips are handed out on Fridays two and a half weeks in advance in hopes that
parents and students will fill them out the first weekend they are handed. They are due two
weeks after they are handed, approximately a week before the event, so that Six Flags, CIS, and
our volunteers can finalize plans.

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TEAM 2 STEMFEST PROPOSAL

Day Schedule

8:00AM Buses arrive at participating schools

8:45AM Buses depart to Six Flags Over Texas

9:30AM Buses arrive and unload students

10:00AM Event launch and kids are released to stations

12:00PM Group A lunch

12:30PM Group B lunch

1:00PM Group C lunch

5:30PM Closing event show

6:30PM Students exit park and load buses

7:30PM Buses depart back to schools

8:15PM Buses arrive at participating schools

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TEAM 2 STEMFEST PROPOSAL

STAFFING

The staffing for the event was chosen based on who would be the most helpful in
educating the students and enriching their experiences throughout the day. There are several
different groups that will make up the staffing for the event. These groups include, but are not
limited to, the Six Flags employees, bus drivers, teachers from participating schools, parents
from participating schools, Communities In Schools affiliates, engineers and contractors from
Six Flags, and the five of us as a team.
The first group of staffing we will have during the event consists of the Six Flags
employees. Their presence at the event is vital to making sure that everything happens as it
should. They are the most knowledgeable pertaining to where things are at the park, how things
work, and what to do if a conflict arises. Some of the employees responsibilities will include
working rides, working concessions, fixing mechanical issues, conducting games, maintaining
janitorial needs, and more, for the event. At full capacity, there are 40,000 people in the park
(Six Flags Annual Reports, 2014). STEMFest will only be having about 12,000 participants.
Henceforth, a full capacity staff is unnecessary, only about one fourth of the employees will be
needed in order for STEMFest to run smoothly.
We presume that about half of the teachers from each school will attend the event, acting
as both volunteers and teachers for the students. Another part of the staffing from the schools
includes parent volunteers. The parents of these students are the best option as volunteers
because they want their children to be well-rounded in all subjects, and this event will enhance
their knowledge in the STEM field and hopefully broaden the students interests and impact their
future in a positive way. We intend for the parent volunteers to help in influencing the students
decisions regarding whether or not to attend STEMFest. While it is ultimately up to the student
to decide whether they want to attend the event, their only other option is to attend a normal
school day. Given these options, we hypothesize that the majority of students will choose to be
present at the field trip. With these odds, the chance of the event being able to influence the
students is dependent on the material we teach the students. We hope to encourage as many
people as possible to pursue what they love.
To fulfill transportation needs, there will be around 275 buses providing transportation
for students, parent volunteers, and CIS volunteers. Because of this, the event will require about
275 bus drivers.
A second group of volunteers for the event will be from the Communities In Schools
program. These affiliates will be helpful in gauging how impactful they think STEMFest is on
the students. While the schools can measure how much the event has influenced the students
based on their grades, the CIS volunteers can get a feel for how effective the event was for the
students on a more personal level. This particular group of volunteers is especially important for
the success of the event because they are familiar with working at events that can potentially
impact an individuals future. They are accustomed to volunteering at similar events that work
with underprivileged and undereducated youths (Communities In Schools of the Dallas
Region, n.d.) . Their partnership with Six Flags is pertinent to measuring the success of
STEMFest according to the students.
In terms of number of volunteers needed from schools and CIS, there will be a 1:10 ratio
of volunteers to students for middle schoolers, and a 1:15 ratio of volunteers to students for high
schoolers.

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TEAM 2 STEMFEST PROPOSAL

We will be bringing in about 50 total engineers, contractors, and the like, to teach the
students about their field of work. The engineers will educate the students about physics, science,
and technology, while the contractors can teach them about how and why they decided to get
involved with their field of work, and also Six Flags. For example, engineers will bring velocity
guns to the event to show just how fast roller coasters travel and why they need to go a certain
speed in order to continue functioning. This type of hands-on learning creates credibility for the
event. Through this type of learning, the students will have an opportunity to see how people
apply their education to their everyday lives. This is especially important for junior high and high
school kids who grow up in high-risk homes or are exposed to high-risk lifestyles because it
shows that they can, in fact, change their future if they choose.
As a group, the five of us intend on acting as two project coordinators, two program
heads, and a program director for STEMFest. One project coordinator and one program head will
be in charge of planning for grades six through eight, while the other coordinator and head will
organize the event for grades nine through twelve. Both coordinators and heads will report to the
program director for approval and reference.

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TEAM 2 STEMFEST PROPOSAL

BUDGET

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TEAM 2 STEMFEST PROPOSAL

In Six Flags 2014 annual report, it states that the total operating expense for Six Flags is
$437,431 for all of the theme parks operations. By adding the size of each Six Flags location, we
estimate that the total size of Six Flags is 5634 acres (Six Flags Annual Reports 2014). We
presume that the average cost to operate an acre is $77,641 in a year. According to Six Flags
operations calendar, the park operates 193 days a year. By dividing the operating cost for an acre
by the number of operation days, it costs Six Flags $402.29 to operate an acre in a day. The Six
Flags Over Texas at Arlington operates on 264 acres of land, so the total cost for Six Flags to
operate in one day is $106,203.62. The cost will be covered by our team.
It is recommended to consume two liters of water each day to maintain hydrated. One
bottle of water contains 500ml of water, so one person will consume about four water bottles on
the day of the event. The of water at Sams Club is $4.98 for 32 bottles of Dasani, which is about
$.1556 per bottle. With the estimated amount of people attending, the total amount spend on
water would be $7,506.77. After the event, the bottles can be recycled for five cents each,
making the revenue of $2,412.20. This revenue can be used on the next event.
The cost for CiCis pizza is five dollars for one topping when purchasing in large
quantities. We assume that four people will eat one pizza if each person eats two slices. In total,
there will be about 3016 pizzas needed to feed everyone for attending the event. The total cost
for the pizzas is $15,080.
The transportation will be part of the expense. One bus holds 44 passengers, which means
that we will need approximately 274 buses to hold 12,061 people. The price for one bus rental is
$957 round trip on a weekend. The cost for bus transportation is about $262,218.
Each participant will wear their schools colored t-shirt for easier identification during the
event. There are seventeen different schools, so there will be seventeen different colors. The cost
per t-shirt is between three to four dollars depending on the amount needed for each school. If we
estimate that it costs four dollars to purchase a t-shirt and there are 12,061 participants, it will
cost $48,244.00 to make t-shirts for everyone attending the event.
The event will also pass out wristbands to each school for the students to wear. The
wristband color will be coordinate with the STEMFest and Six Flags colors. The unit cost to
print the message on the back is $.01 extra. The inside message of the wristband will include
Dallas Regional Chamber which is $.02 extra. The Six Flags logo and the event logo are $.01
extra. We will order 12,500 wristbands for the event. The subtotal for 12,500 wristband is

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TEAM 2 STEMFEST PROPOSAL

$2,375.00. There will be an extra cost of $10 for digital proof request to see how the wristband
looks. The shipping for the order will be $68.90. The entire cost will be $2,453.90 (Debossed
Wristbands 2015).
The admission fee will be free of charge for every participant attending. According to Six
Flags school group prices, it costs $28.99 per person. If the estimated number of people attend,
Dallas Regional Chamber would save $349,679.39 just in admissions costs.
We will be paying $100 per expert to visit for a day. The cost to invite 50 experts to the
event will be $5,000. The staffing cost to watch over the students will be zero because the
amount of staffing needed will be volunteers and parents from schools. The bus drivers cost will
be covered under transportation and the staffing to operate Six Flags will be covered in the
operating expense.
During the event, there will be 30 stations. Each station will have equipment that will
play a role in the process. For example, the roller coaster station will have 10 velocity guns for
the students to use. The Bushnell velocity speed gun costs $82.75 each on Amazon. This station
costs about $827.50 in total. We assume that this will be the most expensive station and that
other stations will be half of this amount, the estimated expense for equipment will be $27,156.
There will not be any marketing costs. We will contact the Dallas Independent School
District directly about the event and encourage them to put it in the curriculum calendar. Then
they will tell the schools and spread the news of the event to each student in Dallas ISD.
The total variable cost is approximately $367,658.67, with variable cost of $30.48 per
person attending. The fixed cost is $106,203.02 to operate at Six Flags, the cost of admission will
not be included in the budget. The total estimated budget to start this event is $473,861.69 and
$471,450.09 for the ones after. The Dallas Regional Chamber will be paying $185,000 for the
variable cost and Six Flags will cover $288,861.69, which is about 61% of the entire budget.

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CONCLUSION

STEMFest will affect the educations and the lives of Dallas students and eventually
impact the STEM industry in Dallas creating local innovation and technological development. It
will accomplish this through teaching students important scientific and mathematical concepts
and inspiring them to attend universities to one day enter the STEM field. Once we implement
our program, we will examine our impact through data of students test scores as well as
instructor and institution feedback. Depending on the results we may tweak small aspects the
program to boost effectiveness, but the layout will remain the same. Six Flags wants to bring
StemFest to other cities across the nation to impact more and more students. We believe every
student could and will benefit from attending and the counseling given and advice learned
through it.
We hope you, Dallas Regional Chamber, share our vision for these underprivileged
students, the local STEM field, and the city of Dallas. Six Flags and our colleagues are excited to
start the program and reach out to these schools to give their students this life changing
opportunity as soon as possible. With your help, we can better the education of numerous local
students and protect the future of our city.

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TEAM 2 STEMFEST PROPOSAL

References
Adkins, R. (2012, July 9). America Desperately Needs More STEM Students. Retrieved October
3, 2015, from
http://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesleadershipforum/2012/07/09/america-desperately-nee
ds-more-stem-students-heres-how-to-get-them/

Ayala, E. (2013, May 4). Fewer A schools in low-income areas in Dallas-Fort Worth, report
finds. Retrieved October 1, 2015, from
http://www.dallasnews.com/news/education/headlines/20130504-fewer-a-schools-in-low-
income-areas-report-finds.ece

Bidwell, A. (2015, February 24). STEM Workforce No More Diverse Than 14 Years Ago.
Retrieved November 17, 2015, from
http://www.usnews.com/news/stem-solutions/articles/2015/02/24/stem-workforce-no-
more-diverse-than-14-years-ago

Communities In Schools of the Dallas Region. (n.d.). Retrieved October 18, 2015, from
http://www.cisdallas.org/

Debossed Wristbands. (2015). Retrieved October 24, 2015, from

http://24hourwristbands.com/shop/custom-silicone-wristbands/debossed-wristbands

Dorning, J. (2014, March 1). The STEM Workforce: An Occupational Overview. Retrieved
October 2, 2015, from
http://dpeaflcio.org/programs-publications/issue-fact-sheets/the-stem-workforce-an-occupat
ional-overview/

Elgart, M. (2015, July 19). Exposing Every Student To STEM. Retrieved October 2, 2015, from
http://tapcoalition.org/news/news_coverage_archives/index_date.asp

Six Flags Annual Reports. (2014). Retrieved November 15, 2015 from
http://investors.sixflags.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=61629&p=irol-reportsAnnual

Targeted IR and FIR School Improvement Plans. (n.d.). Retrieved October 17, 2015, from
http://www.dallasisd.org/Page/26293

Underrepresented Minorities in STEM. (2013). Retrieved October 6, 2015, from

http://www.nacme.org/underrepresented-minorities

US Census Bureau. (2013). Disparities in STEM Employment by Sex, Race, and Hispanic Origin
(ACS Publication No. ACS-24). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
US Commission On Civil Rights. (2010). Encouraging Minority Students To Pursue Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Math Careers. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing
Office.

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TEAM 2 STEMFEST PROPOSAL

APPENDIX A - AUTHORIZATION

Six Flags Over Texas requests the Dallas Regional Chamber to support our program to provide
underprivileged Dallas ISD students the educational resources they need and encourage them to
enter the STEM field by contributing $185,000 for the StemFest event.

The Dallas Regional Chamber hereby authorizes Six Flags Over Texas to use $185,000.00 to
implement the StemFest program.

Dallas Regional Chamber Signatures

X________________________________

X________________________________

X________________________________

X________________________________

As the representatives for Six Flags Over Texas, we promise to use the Dallas Regional
Chambers funding solely for our event.

Six Flags Over Texas StemFest Program Head Signatures

X________________________________

X________________________________

X________________________________

X________________________________

X________________________________

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