This spring, our SWE section participated in several community-wide science outreach events! These events allowed us to expand our reach beyond the middle and high school students in our area, and to introduce younger and older folks in our community to the exciting world of engineering.
In April, we participated in New Haven’s Beyond the March for Science. This event was designed to be a continuation of the local and national March for Science events that began last year. The goal of this year’s event was to encourage continued science literacy and advocacy in our community. We brought along several demonstrations to this event, including several of our LED demos and our light tracking car demo! In addition to several other demonstration tables, the New Haven Beyond the March for Science also featured a series of lectures on a variety of science topics.
Later in April, we participated in the Bridgeport STEMTacular Expo. This event was held at the Bridgeport Discovery Museum. We also brought along several of our favorite demonstrations to this event, and had a great time explaining them to students ranging from elementary school to high school. In addition, we participated in a panel discussion focused on higher education in STEM. Along with several other graduate students and practicing STEM professionals, we answered a variety of questions on what it’s like to pursue a science or engineering degree in college and beyond.
Finally, in June, we participated in one of the Girl Scout STEMagination Family Science nights in New Fairfield, CT! Groups of 4th and 5th grade girls rotated through several activities led by STEM students and professionals. We ran a station focused on Biomedical Engineering, and engaged the girls in the Clearing a Path to the Heart activity. This activity introduced the girls to the engineering design process, and challenged them to design a tool using straws, pipe cleaners, popsicle sticks, and toothpicks that could most effectively clear a clogged artery.
Stay tuned for more updates on our summer programming!