SARASOTA (WSNN) – Students on the Suncoast are learning science in a whole new way, and yes, it’s actually “rocket science.” The Suncoast Science Center launches its first STEM-Saturday class with Rocketry.
“We hope that we are inspiring the participants here to blast off into their future and just see what they like, what they don’t like, and encourage them to try lots of different things, you don’t just have to do one thing,” Suncoast Science Center’s Marketing Director, Jenn Sams.
Sams says the classes are designed to give students an opportunity to explore different fields in Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. From creating air-propelled foam rockets to Water-propelled bottle rockets.
Young kids are launching into their careers one rocket at a time. But, they’re not taught by your average teacher; high school volunteers are the ones taking the lead.
“We believe strongly in the peer-to-peer learning, and the power of that and how much the younger students really value what the older students have to say, more so than adults talking to them sometimes. So they build really great relationships that last beyond just the classes,” Sams said.
ODA Sophomore, Max Fischer, is a returning camper turned instructor who hopes to be an engineer one day.
“I just want to give back to the lab because they’ve helped me a lot and if I inspire the kids, I feel like I’ve succeeded,” Out of Door Academy Sophomore Max Fischer said.
He says he wants his lesson plans to not be boring.
“It can be educational, but it can also be fun,” Ficsher said. “And that way you’re able to engage the kids in many activities and they’re able to learn with doing, not just having somebody speak up there, and explain through words, but actually have physical objects and activities that you can do.
And the kids agree…
“I kind of like how it was really like actually doing it, instead of just like going on a website and learning about it,” student Zalan Guilbert said.
“It was really fun,” student Kaitlyn Royalty said. “Cause in school, you don’t really get to interact, like you just learn about it, you don’t really get to do it.”
The classes are designed for students from grades second to twelfth. And the program will run every Saturday until the end of January.
