Have fun! Be a scientist! Children create their most meaningful understanding of how the world works through experiments that allow trial and error. Authentic learning engagements give students a chance to engage in collaborative problem solving and build their critical thinking skills. Teams work together to design, produce, test and record their observations. The cumulative outcome is presenting their findings to a peer audience for review and reflecting upon the knowledge gained by going through the process. 21st century learners must be able to connect with the needs of our planet and the living things that share it. Working together with experienced STEM instructors and their peers, students will not only be learning about terms and processes but experiencing science first hand.