Written by Emily Davis, Dallas Education Foundation
At N.W. Harllee Early Childhood Center, learning doesn’t end with the final school bell; it comes alive in the evenings, through a monthly tradition known as STEM Night.
Made possible through a partnership between Dallas Education Foundation and PNC, STEM Night is a celebration of science, technology, engineering, art, and math that brings families, students, and community partners together for an evening of hands-on exploration.
At the most recent STEM Night, young learners became engineers, builders, and inventors. On the school deck, students teamed up to construct shelters. Inside, they raced marbles down custom-designed tracks, tested the strength of homemade bridges, and experimented with boat designs to see which could carry the most weight without sinking. In the robotics station, even the youngest children explored early coding concepts in playful and engaging ways.
These nights are made even more magical with the support of the community. Thanks to the support of partners like Southern Gateway, Girls Inc., Dallas Public Library, Dallas Parks and Recreation, and the Dr. Elba and Domingo Garcia West Dallas STEM School, families see what’s possible when real-world learning meets joyful discovery.
“It’s honestly one of the most magical nights we have all month. It feels like the whole community is coming together to celebrate learning,” said Ashley Valentine, teacher at N.W. Harllee. “Even my quietest students were confidently explaining their marble tracks or testing their boats in the water station. It’s hands-on, it’s messy, and it’s full of joy—and they’re learning the whole time.”
With generous support from PNC and DEF, Harllee’s STEM Nights are building not just bridges and boats, but confidence, curiosity, and a love of learning. Together, they are lighting the path for future-ready scholars, one hands-on adventure at a time.
