On Thursday April 26, 2018, members of the Science Academy hosted a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineer, Math) event for elementary school students in the community room of the Haverford Township Free Library.  Five stations with different activities provided a variety of scientific experiments and demonstrations for the children to explore.

The Air Pressure station, where an index card was shown to adhere to the brim of a full plastic cup of water when it is flipped over, was a favorite attraction. Children were shocked that the index card was not sticky, but that the weight of the air pushing upwards is greater than the weight of the water pushing downwards, causing the index card to stick. Similar fascination was expressed when children watched a ping-pong ball levitate as a blow dryer set on high capacity was directed on it.  

The Haverford High School Coding Club displayed gadgets including a mini iPad-controlled R2-D2.  This station in particular was popular and drew crowds of small science enthusiasts.

Parents did not refrain from also expressing interest in the stations, often exclaiming, “Wow that is so cool!”  Enthusiasm was similarly expressed in the many pictures parents took of their enthralled children at the STEM event.

Anatomy and Biology teacher Ms. Mortland, reflected on the event.

The STEM day at the Haverford Township Library was a great success.  We had between 25-30 children from the community attend and participate in a variety of activities, from constructing scribble-bots to creating pollinator pods or bug-catchers.  A big hit of the event were the remote-controlled robots that the Coding Club brought. Senior Amy Kushlan, Science Academy officer, did an exceptional job planning and organizing the event.

The Science Academy has made enormous efforts to spread the awareness, understanding, and affinity of science in the last year. With the success of this STEM event and others like it, the Science Academy plans to continue to engage with the community (and its youngest members) through STEM.