On Thursday, February 19, the FIU School of Architecture’s Landscape Architecture + Environmental and Urban Design (LAEUD) Department led a special activation and presentation at this year’s FIU STEAM Day Festival. Hosted annually by Florida International University, STEAM Day is an educational outreach initiative designed to engage K–12 students in hands-on learning across science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. As hundreds of elementary and middle school students arrived on the Modesto A. Maidique Campus, they were greeted by LAEUD Department Chair Ebru Özer, who introduced students to the environmental benefits of green roofs and demonstrated how to build a mini green roof.
Visiting students learned the step-by-step process of building a green roof through a live demonstration and received illustrated infographics and small plants to take home, empowering them to continue experimenting and learning beyond the event. Events like STEAM Day play an important role in introducing young learners to design thinking, sustainability, and environmental stewardship at an early age, helping spark curiosity about future careers in the built environment.
Hands-on projects, such as building a green roof, inspire students to explore the sustainability of the built environment and open their eyes to the possibilities within landscape architecture. FIU STEAM Day provided an opportunity to present our field as a true STEAM discipline, where art and science converge in design, and to show how thoughtful, integrated solutions can shape healthier, more resilient communities.
Chair Özer
The LAEUD department looks forward to continuing its participation in future STEAM initiatives, expanding opportunities to engage the next generation of designers and environmental leaders.
