Outcome

Girls++ has been able to help teach many underprivileged kids about all kinds of STEM subjects through fun activities that they could not only enjoy but learn from as well! Over the course of four days, more than 20 kids were taught and guided through 12 STEM activities with the help of 9 volunteers!  

This year, we decided to merge activities from various subjects together. Most days would have at least two different types of activities: biology/chemistry, technology/engineering, engineering/math, and health and wellness. We chose this schedule instead of having all biology/chemistry activities in one day.

So, on Day One, our students performed a colorful milk experiment (chemistry), built bristle bots (technology), and constructed gumdrop towers (engineering). The colorful milk experiment was an opportunity for them to learn how different substances interact and change with each other. Building bristle bots was our way of introducing them to the world of robotics. We encouraged them to discover how simple materials could engineer complex devices, like a moving robot. Gumdrop towers was an engineering-focused activity that encouraged our students to think critically about structure and balance.

Day Two included a straw bridge activity (engineering), quick freeze (chemistry), and a heart rate simulation (health and wellness). Straw bridge empowered them to work together to build the bridge that would hold the most amount of weight. In the quick-freeze activity, we dove further into chemical processes and displayed how temperature changes can drastically change materials. Our experiment did not end up working (bottles did not end up freezing), but the students still enjoyed exploring the process and learning about the science behind the activity. Lastly, our heart rate simulation taught them how to measure their heart rate after exercising.

Day Three was a health and wellness focused day. We started off with rock painting, followed by smart snacking, and running pepper (health and wellness). We encouraged them to paint the rocks to express their emotions and to relieve some stress. Smart snacking got them to continue being creative and paint journals, while discussing healthy snack options. Running pepper was a quick and fun activity where they learned about the power of soap and its ability to clean off germs.

Finally, Day Four culminated our event with paper airplane (engineering), cup and string (technology), and balloon-powered car (engineering) activities. They designed paper airplanes and discovered how different folds contribute to different air times and ways of flying. Cup-and-string telephones got them to explore communication. The students had fun building the balloon-powered cars and learning how energy can be stored up in the balloon and transferred into kinetic energy with the car moving

Throughout the course of the program, the students exhibited traits like intellectual curiosity, creativity, and open-mindedness. Many reiterated their interest in scientific fields, sharing ambitions in fields such as medicine or chemistry. Therefore, our work extended past the scope of the program---encouraging students to apply scientific thinking in their everyday lives.