For a festival focused on the wonder of the world around us, the Fayetteville Earth Day Festival at the City Center Park turned to groups of local students to share their passion for science.
Whitewater High brought their STEAM bus, a mobile classroom geared towards elementary-aged students. Whitewater 9th and 10th grade STEM students designed and implemented activities for the event, including roller coasters, rockets, VR, rocks, robots, snap circuits, and green screen.
The bus project is run like a business in which every team member has a vital role to play in its success. Roles include project managers, design, communications/marketing, documentation/social media, website, and grant/community outreach. Underclassmen are responsible for managing and creating the activities, and upperclassmen help at larger events such as the Earth Day event.
“Many hours of hard work and brainstorming have been put into this bus project since 2018. It’s a true labor of love,” said STEM program co-coordinator Shelley Kozlowski. “Thanks to our new sponsors this year, we are able to move forward with designing our bus in the coming months and hope to transform the look of our school bus into an eye-catching STEAM bus!”
The bus experience is aimed at getting elementary students interested in STEM learning.
“We hope our STEM students take away a feeling that they are part of a team that makes a difference in our community,” said STEM program co-coordinator Kathryn Dupree. “We hope, in turn, that the elementary students take away a love of all things STEM and are ignited with a passion for learning.”
It wasn’t all Wildcats chipping in. The Fayette County High Green Club was also represented by 10 students who offered up an eco-demonstration on hydroponic gardening.
— Provided by the Fayette County School System.
