G4EE Progress Day 1

On the first day, we had the students split up into two separate groups so that they could work together to build a beehome. They used wood glue to assemble strips of wood into blocks, which would then have to be drilled. Initially, our team planned for the students to just finish gluing on the first day, but since we were ahead of schedule, we decided to do some drill practice! After a quick safety workshop to teach the students how to correctly use a power drill, we had them take turns practicing drilling holes in spare wood blocks. After lunch, the GirlsBuild team decided that there would actually be enough wood for everyone to build their own beehome in a different design. While some students drilled, the remaining students decorated the exterior of their beehomes. Towards the end of the first day of the workshop, we had the students create some projects on Snap Circuit boards.

G4EE Progress Day 2

On the second day, the students finished decorating and drilling both beehome designs. We also had them complete an online survey about their workshop experience, and whether they became more interested in the STEM field after participating. The GirlsBuild team also prepared gift cards to give to all the students, and we also rewarded participants for things like wearing their safety glasses the most or being engaged. On the second day, the students seemed a bit more comfortable with each other, and were more eager to work on their projects. Overall, the kids seemed to really enjoy the workshop, and it was also a great learning experience for all the event organizers. We could have given the students a little more guidance, such as how much wood glue is actually needed to attach the pieces together, or taken the time to get to know them a little better, but many of them expressed a greater interest in exploring STEM fields in the future!