This past Wednesday, March 28, 2018, was the annual Center Street School STEM fair in El Segundo. During the science fair children of all ages had the wonderful opportunity to be able to reap the benefits of the magnificent world of science.
Science is an ever evolving subject and I believe when it is incorporated in schools in a fun way, students are more willing to learn. As a fresh out of college biology fanatic I decided to volunteer at the Center Street School STEM fair with Study Hut in order to teach young children about the world of STEM. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and math, and as someone who has enjoyed learning in a college setting where laboratory classes are crucial, I believe that using the hands on approach is one of the best ways for young children to learn. The Center Street School STEM Fair had many different stations where future scientists could create mini science projects. My team and I took over the physics section of the Center Street School STEM fair and taught the elementary students how to create mini electrical circuits. These electrical circuits were created using dark graphite pencils, a porous piece of paper, a 9 V or 3 V battery as well as light bulbs, which contained positive and negative electrodes. Elementary students had to draw on the paper two tracks. These tracks could be squiggly lines, straight lines or even their own crazy designs. But they needed to ensure that they never touched on either end… just got really close so that the battery could connect to one end and the light bulb could connect on the other. Many of the children were able to light their lightbulb on the first try! The joy that these children had when the light bulb lit up was inexplicable. These children started screaming from excitement and clapping their hands! One girl even jumped up and started doing a little dance when her light bulb glowed blue. The Center Street School STEM Fair was a wonderful experience for myself and the rest of the volunteers. All children should have the ability to explore the different subjects that call for their hearts and, and the Center Street School STEM Fair is an excellent opportunity for young curious minds to explore the boundless world of STEM education.
