Fridays at STEM Starter are all about family time and we think it's time to go a little batty! October is National Bat Appreciation Month and a phenomenal time to learn more about these unique and mysterious creatures! Each week we'll feature a new website that will offer you information and activities to learn more about bats. We hope you enjoy learning more about the vital role bats play and how you can protect them.

For Museum Monday we are winding our way Northeast to the Keystone State - Pennsylvania! A state know for it's history, beauty and steel industry. Today we're honoring that industry by highlighting a museum that is dedicated to preserving awareness of steel and glass manufacturing. To learn more, click this box.

The first week of October is dedicated to Fire Prevention Week and what better time than now to highlight the firefighter career field. For more information about the requirements to become a firefighter, click this box.

Does the number: 1,342,885 mean anything to you? What if we told you it is one of the most important patents in U.S. history? This patent is, "...so important that to this day every radio or television set makes use of one or more of his developments." To learn more about this invention and the inventor ... click this box.

As the days become shorter and the nights become longer - we're thinking this is a perfect time to think about lighting. So, for this "Think About it Thursday" we want to shed a little bit of light on the subject of LED or "Light-Emitting Diode." For additional information - click this box.

Thank goodness it's Family Friday! Today we are highlighting the "E" in STEM while continuing to broaden our knowledge of bat for Bat Appreciation Month. For this Friday head over to the National Wildlife Federation to learn how to build a bat box and learn why bats are vital to the environment. For more information, click this box.

What a busy week we've had! We hope you enjoyed learning about bats, the steel industry, manufacturing, the invention of the radio and light-emitting diodes! Our heads are stuffed with STEM! We thought today would be a great day to go pumpkin picking. So to help you find the best pumpkin.. click this box to know what you should be looking for. Happy Saturday!

For Museum Monday we are heading East to the Atlantic Coast and visiting the smallest state in the union - Rhode Island. The Ocean State is home to large historic mansions, colonial seaside towns, picturesque beaches and our next Museum for this Monday. The Seabee Museum & Memorial is in Davisville, RI and if you happen to be in the area - it is worth a visit to learn more about the STEM of the Seabees & how this unit of the Navy supports the US military. For more information, click this box.

For Trade Secret Tuesday we are highlighting an area of your home that can become a fire and carbon monoxide hazard if not properly maintained - The Chimney. Chimney Sweepers play a vital role in fire prevention by insuring a chimney is clean and safe to use. For more information about the importance of maintaining a chimney - click this box.

Happy Birthday to the United States Navy! For more information about the history of the US Navy, click this box.

For Think About it Thursday we're learning more about how bats can navigate in the dark. Head over to our "Eerie Echolocation" Experiment to learn more about this ability and how it's used.

For this Family Friday we are continuing to investigate the world of bats and today offers us the unique opportunity to combine education, art and Halloween in one activity! To find out more about this seasonal activity, click this box and make sure to have lots of fun while learning more about bats!

What a phenomenal week we had! We learned about: the Navy Seabees, the importance of Chimney Sweeps, the history of the Swine Flu Vaccine, bat echolocation and created bat masks! We're excited it's Saturday and ready to have some fun carving pumpkins! For some pumpkin carving tips. click this box.

“It looked like the world was covered in a cobbler crust of brown sugar and cinnamon.” - Sarah Addison Allen Don't forget... There is STEM in baking. Click this box for a Pennsylvania Dutch Apple Cobbler Recipe. Enjoy!

For this Museum Monday we are traveling down the coast of the Atlantic shore to South Carolina. Here we are visiting the "Hunley - The world's first successful combat submarine!" For more information about this fantastic and innovative accomplishment click this box.

Welcome Back to Trade Secret Tuesday! This week we want to highlight a trade that is dedicated to protecting animals and their respective habitats - A Wildlife Conservation Officer. What a phenomenal occupation for those who love the outdoors! For more information about this valuable career field, click this box.

Today, we journey back 210 years to Oct. 20 1811 along the banks of the mighty Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. It is here that people had the opportunity to witness the 1,800 mile journey of the steamboat the "New Orleans." To learn more about this incredible feat, click this box.

Today for Think About it Thursday we thought it might be fun to experiment and construct our very own "Haunted House." Albeit - a miniature version... but a creepy construction nonetheless. To go to the experiment click this box and make sure to take a picture and tag us!

Welcome BAT to Family Fridays were we are celebrating all that is unique about bats. Today we invite you to learn more about two direct threats to bat populations. For more information, click this box.

This week was packed with new and wonderful opportunities to learn more about the STEM fields by visiting a: sunken submarine, learning about conservation officers, journeying on a steamboat, constructing a haunted house and learning about the threats to bat populations. We think its time to slow down and get ready for Halloween. Do you have your costume yet? If not - don't worry. Click this box for some STEM inspired Halloween costumes.

Happy Sunday! You've earned this day of rest, relaxation and recharging. For a wonderful hot coca recipe... click this box.

Do you know the value of vinegar? If not, there is, thankfully, a museum in South Dakota that is dedicated to teaching you about all that is wonderful and good about vinegar. Whether you're using it for pickling or cleaning - there are so many fantastic uses for vinegar. For more information... click this box.

Welcome to Trade Secret Tuesday! One area of STEM that is easily overlooked is the manufacturing industry. Thankfully, The Manufacturing Institute is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to growing and supporting, "...the industry’s skilled workers for the advancement of modern manufacturing." To learn more about how the STEM and manufacturing fields are connected.. click this box.

For Wayback Wednesday we travel back to 1976 to learn more about the impact of another pandemic The Swine Flu and the vaccine used to treat it. For more information about click this box.

For Think About it Thursday, we would like for you to prepare your Halloween Safety Kit. Think About what you need to do and have in order to be safe this Halloween. Additionally, we think this is an excellent opportunity to create a map of your neighborhood and develop the best Trick or Treating route that may yield the most amount of candy. For additional safety tips click here and Good Luck!

Welcome to the end of your week and month! If you enjoyed learning about bats - but would like to learn more, click this box for a list of additional reading opportunities regarding bat. Enjoy make sure to tell us which book you chose and why.

We wish you lots of fun, and be safe!