Academic STEAM challenge Saturday.

TrueNorth Community Services photo

Academic STEAM challenge Saturday.

HESPERIA — First through eighth graders from 10 schools in Oceana, Newaygo and Muskegon counties will participate in the seventh annual STEAM Challenge regional academic exhibition Saturday, Jan. 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Hesperia Middle School.

The participating students are from the Out-of-School Time programs Engage! in Hesperia; REACH in White Cloud; and Project FOCUS in Baldwin, Hart, Holton, Muskegon, Muskegon Heights and Walkerville. The Out-of-School Time programs are a TrueNorth community service.

STEAM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math. REACH is an acronym for Respect, Excellence, Academics, Community and Health. FOCUS is an acronym for For Our Children’s Ultimate Success.

Grants from the Fremont Area Community Foundation fund Hesperia’s Engage! and White Cloud’s REACH programs. In Baldwin, Hart, Holton, Muskegon, Muskegon Heights and Walkerville, Project FOCUS is funded by federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers grants awarded through the Michigan Department of Education.