Do you remember when you were a kid how fascinating electricity, airplanes, water rockets, chemistry and weights and measurements seemed to be? Students at Stedman Elementary learned about these things in a hands-on way last semester thanks to a grant from the DPS Foundation’s A to Z Fund. The after-school class at Stedman was taught by Colorado Experiential Learning Lab’s (C.E.E.L.) science educator, Lauren Wilson, whose approach allows students to conduct exciting science experiments and share their learning experience – all while leaving room for fun! Wilson, in his one-on-one instruction, guides students’ explorations from dissecting eyes to building terraria. The day we visited, students were learning about aerodynamics through the building (and flying!) of paper airplanes!
“My favorite experiment in this class was the one where we created reactions,” said fourth-grader, Ellis. ” This class is different from the school day. In school, we write and read a lot. Here, we get to make the experiments with our hands. It’s lots of fun.”
This program is a great way for students to get individual time with instructor and use after-school time to extend their knowledge where they otherwise might not be getting valuable skills, such as scientific inquiry and scientific method, and transfer their learning to the classroom.
“Most of these kids are in pretty big classrooms, so to come into this after-school setting that is much smaller and more hands-on is a great learning opportunity for these young minds,” said Gifted & Talented Itinerant teacher, Cassie Perlmutter, who requested the A to Z grant.
The A to Z Fund exists to help fund programs like this one – which enrich the learning experience and help students embrace their education, both inside and outside the classroom. Read more about the A to Z Fund here.