HW Smith Students Become ‘STEM Explorers’ at SRC
Every Friday, 7th grade HW Smith students have special visitors in their science class: Syracuse University students who help lead them in hands-on STEM activities.Through the STEM Explorers program – formerly Engineering Ambassadors – through the Mary Ann Shaw Center and in partnership with SRC and the SU College of Engineering and Computer Science, college students build relationships with the middle school students and serve as co-teachers while facilitating science learning.
And this year, for the first time, the middle school students were invited to take a field trip to visit SRC. There, they met their STEM Explorers mentors and engaged in activities like a STEM escape room, STEM Family Feud, tower building challenges, and more. They also had the opportunity to take part in a panel discussion with SRC staff.
“We got to have a fun experience trying new things,” HW Smith 7th grader Ma’Kayla Daniels said. “It was interesting to me to meet someone who didn’t have a dream of becoming an architect but who is now successfully doing it. It made me feel motivated about my future and where I might end up!”
“I like science and chemistry,” Noah Wrench added. “I liked the engineering that we did there. I might want to work as an engineer one day – mechanical engineering sounds interesting. At SRC, they do military defense stuff, and I think it sounds fun to help design vehicles and stuff like that. It was fun. I liked that even though we were still doing science, we weren’t sitting in a classroom all day!”
Science teacher Tiffany Kwiek said her students were privileged to be the first group of SCSD students to visit SRC with the STEM Explorers group – adding that the impact of the trip reached far beyond a one-day field trip experience.
“My students gained a better understanding of what it means to be an engineer, learned how engineers solve problems, and explored how important engineering work can be for our society,” Ms. Kwiek explained. “The STEM Explorers program is great because it allows my students to meet college students that are closer to their age, and they can relate to them. The college students have goals for their future, and my students can see themselves also having the goal of going to college and becoming an engineer.”
Previously through the STEM Explorers program, students enjoyed a trip touring the Syracuse University campus, which students enjoyed. But the added element of speaking with professionals who work in the STEM field was a favorite experience for many of the HW Smith scholars.
“We got to experience things that engineers get to do every day,” Chance Ross said. “It was cool, because I want to be an engineer one day. I like designing stuff – figuring things out. I was able to ask some questions of people who are engineers, and that made me excited about my future.”
“I’m definitely interested in science,” Aislinn Nolan shared. “I would love to work in biology or in a lab to help find cures for things. My favorite part of the SRC experience was the escape room, because it allowed me to use all of my capabilities. I was able to decipher symbols and things like that – that’s a strong suit of mine. We got to really work together and use our leadership and teamwork skills… it was great to do some unique STEM things! When we heard from the people who work at SRC, it was cool to hear their opinions – and they asked us some questions that led to deeper conversations. The trip made me more interested in what I can do and helped me think more about a future in STEM.”
Thank you to our partners at Syracuse University and SRC for making this possible and for helping our HW Smith scholars become #SCSDCareerReady!
