ABOUT THE EVENT

On December 20th 2024, The Poly STEM Outreach Club visited Holabird Academy to do a STEM event with 3rd Graders. The Poly STEM Outreach invited AFJROTC and Robotics Club to join us. Each club/program brought their own activities to showcase the students.

WHAT DID WE DO?

The Poly STEM Outreach Club recently hosted an engaging and educational event at Holabird, aimed at introducing students to the exciting world of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). The event began with a short presentation by the club president and a fellow member, where they discussed the importance of STEM in everyday life and future careers. To make the presentation interactive, a trivia session was held at the end—students who answered questions correctly were rewarded with candy. Each student also received a raffle ticket for a chance to win a prize at the conclusion of the event.

The outreach team organized four hands-on activities: Magnetic Fishing, Binary Coding, Conductivity Experiment, and Mathopoly. Each activity was designed to be fun and educational, helping students understand fundamental STEM concepts through play and experimentation.

In the Magnetic Fishing activity, students were provided with four types of paper fish, which they could color and decorate. Afterward, they used a fishing rod made from a stick, string, and magnet to catch fish by attaching a paper clip to each fish’s mouth. The student who collected the most fish won a small prize. This activity introduced students to the concept of magnetism in a playful and competitive way.

The Binary Coding station gave students a binary code sheet and challenged them to convert simple words into binary code. This activity offered an accessible and creative way to introduce students to coding and how computers process information using binary language.

During the Conductivity Experiment, students explored which materials can conduct electricity by testing them in a simple circuit setup. Using alligator clips, batteries, wires, and LED lights, they tested objects such as forks, paper clips, dimes, and gum wrappers to see which ones could light up the bulb. This experiment was designed to teach the concept of electrical conductivity and how different materials respond to electric currents.

In the Mathopoly activity, students were divided into two teams and took turns rolling dice to move game pieces across a board. Each space corresponded to a math question aligned with their school curriculum. This game blended math practice with fun, encouraging teamwork and reinforcing problem-solving skills.

At the end of the event, the raffle prizes were awarded, and every student received a STEM activity book to take home, encouraging continued exploration and learning beyond the event.

In conclusion, the Poly STEM Outreach event at Holabird was a resounding success. Students were actively engaged, learned important STEM concepts, and had a great time doing so. Club members also enjoyed interacting with the students and seeing their curiosity sparked. Events like these are a valuable way to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, and innovators.

MISSION SUCCESS!