Visiting the afterschool programs of each BTCS elementary school, STEM club is continuing their mission of making science education engaging and accessible at a young age.

“It’s providing them that hands-on opportunity so they’re not just memorizing lots of science,” said club sponsor Julie Bittinger. “I think that now, more than ever, it’s important for students to have a foundation of science.”

The weekly lessons, prepared and taught by club members, involve interactive projects and experiments in science, technology, engineering, and math, with the hope that it sparks kids’ enthusiasm for STEM.

“We went to Holston View and we taught about wavelengths based on the colors of the rainbow,” said senior Abigail Waldorf. “We used a slinky as a representation of the longer wavelengths and the shorter wavelengths. The kids loved the colors and everything; it was just really fun.”

Through making science meaningful and applicable, STEM club hopes to leave a lasting impression on the students they teach.

“We’re trying to reach out to all of these schools and develop a program over time, not just a club,” said co-president Ricardo Cortez. “We want kids to be able to interact with STEM, and hopefully over time, that’ll increase their love for it.”