Fifth graders from across Marshall County engaged in hands-on science experiments during the 5th annual CTE Girls STEM Day at John Marshall High School on Tuesday. The event aimed to foster interest in science and technology among young girls.
Participants created homemade lava lamps, constructed notecard bridges testing their strength, played coding games with mini robots, and explored the insides of pumpkins by smashing them open. More than 150 girls from various elementary schools took part in the activities.
Heather McCord, the vocational assessments facilitator for the Career and Technical Education (CTE) and adult education programs, stated that the initiative began five years ago in collaboration with Vex Robotics to encourage girls’ interest in science and robotics during the International Day of the Girl. McCord noted that fifth graders were selected to help prepare them for science-related clubs and activities in middle school.
“We hope that it does help them find out about the robotics and hopefully get them excited, that they remember the hands-on stuff. And hopefully they like it,” McCord said.
During the lava lamp activity, students filled a plastic bottle halfway with vegetable oil, added water to the top, and included a few drops of food coloring, which mixed with the water below. They then dropped Alka-Seltzer into the mixture, observing the bubbling effect that mimicked a lava lamp.
The success of the event illustrates the ongoing efforts by educators and community organizers to engage young girls in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields, with hopes that this exposure will lead to continued interest as they progress in their education.
