November 18, 2024
Center connects with community through STEM initiatives
The Center for STEM Education (CSTEM) had an engaging fall, hosting a variety of events to ignite curiosity in young learners and equip future teachers with hands-on STEM teaching tools.
To kick off October, the Center took part in the annual STEM Expo, held by the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Greenville on October 5. There, Center staff and students in the Elementary Science Concentration from East Carolina University (ECU) interacted with over 390 students and parents, offering activities inspired by North Carolina’s natural ecosystems. These included hands-on lessons such as observing the effect of sunlight on UV-sensitive beads, learning probability and statistics using M&M candies, and predicting and graphing foot sizes to introduce measurement concepts. Through these activities, attendees were able to experience firsthand how STEM can bring everyday observations to life and gained a better understanding of natural science concepts.
As Halloween approached, the Center hosted a Spooky STEM event on October 30 at St. James United Methodist Church, partnering with the Pitt Pirates Robotics team, a local high school robotics group. The event attracted 45 elementary school students from third to fifth grade, each creating zipline racers from simple materials like popsicle sticks, paper clips, and propellers. For a spooky twist, participants decorated their racers with paper witches, ghosts, and owls. The final activity saw these creations racing down a zipline, thrilling students and giving them a hands-on introduction to engineering concepts in a festive, fun setting.
In partnership with Ms. Bonnie Glass, the CSTEM staff member Ann McClung introduced RoboxSumo to students in ECU’s Elementary Science Methods and Elementary Physical Science courses. Designed by the Pitt Pirates Robotics team, RoboxSumo challenges participants to build and control cardboard robots to compete in a sumo-style showdown. Over three days, ECU’s preservice teachers collaborated in teams to design, build, and test their robots, culminating in an exciting tournament. This activity not only honed the teachers’ understanding of engineering practices and the forces and motion standard, but also inspired them to create engaging, inquiry-based STEM lessons for their future classrooms.
Additionally, CSTEM, in collaboration with LEGO Education and Pitt County Schools, hosted a training for elementary and middle school teachers focused on integrating robotics into their classrooms and clubs. With guidance from Pitt Pirates team members, teachers learned to program LEGO robots, navigate the LEGO Education platform, and explored other activities suitable for young learners, such as the Science Olympiad, programming with Spheros, and projects like the Toothpick Bridge and Egg Drop contests. This training empowered teachers with the skills and ideas they need to make STEM learning accessible and enjoyable for students.
Finally, the Center’s outreach extended to Pungo Christian Academy in Belhaven, NC, where STEM Day introduced students in grades 3 through 5 to kinetic and potential energy through a slingshot car-building activity. ECU alumni and Teaching Fellows Ashley and Kelly Williford joined as volunteers, assisting students as they built and raced their slingshot cars. The day also included an exciting RoboxSumo match, where students operated robots constructed by ECU’s preservice teachers. This event was designed to spark curiosity and inspire future STEM leaders, providing students with a memorable hands-on experience in engineering and physics.
From school-based initiatives to community STEM events, this fall has been full of exciting educational opportunities that encourage young learners and prepare future educators to lead innovative STEM classrooms.