Parents, students and volunteers packed the gym at Mountain View Elementary for a school family night Thursday.

Principal Chris Woodward said the event is held in conjunction with Mountain View’s 21st Century after-school program, which focuses on a variation of the traditional STEM model. Instead of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), Mountain View Elementary adds art to form STEAM.

At Thursday’s family night, people milled around long tables filled with interactive activities.

“It’s one thing to be told about something, it’s another thing to experience it firsthand,” Woodward said. “That’s what’s really so cool about science and about teaching science to kids: It’s part play, part education.”

Dozens of kids tried simple experiments with the help of volunteers from the East High School JROTC.

The Alaska Museum of Science and Nature, the Imaginarium, the Anchorage Chapter of the Links, Inc., BMW of Anchorage and other volunteers also participated.

Hands-on activities included lots of chemistry.