Science National Honors Society hosts its sixth annual STEM night on Feb. 9. The event was geared towards educating local elementary and middle schoolers about STEM fields, as well as related clubs via community outreach, SNHS president Angela Milo said.
The event followed this year’s theme “Innovators Unvailed,” allowing students to creatively involve themselves and interact with each booth, Milo said.
“Especially with our theme, it’s super important to highlight people who may be underappreciated in their fields,” Milo said. “It’s more relevant, as February is Black History Month, to focus on underrepresented groups in STEM.”
Physics teacher Kathleen Shreve said she attended STEM night with her daughters and parents who share her passion for science. She said she came to the event to both oversee the physics club and spend time with her family.
“My daughters are obsessed with the robot,” Shreve said. “It’s really fun to see them learn STEM from my students, and I really like to show off what my students were able to do, which is fun for me. I think just seeing my kids engage with science is always fun, and I got to show off some of my old knowledge when I was teaching life science a long time ago.”
Chemistry teacher Samuel Fung said he came to the event as an adviser for the science olympiad and biology club, but also to explore the other STEM clubs.
“There are so many types of STEM clubs at this event,” Fung added. “Like Origami Club. It sounds like more of an art club, but I can see the connection in the intersection of STEM and art. So to me, it’s a good opportunity to learn more about different sectors of STEM.”
Fung said these events are crucial for our community because they expose children to STEM at a young age, inspiring them to pursue STEM in the future. It also allows students, teachers and parents to communicate and network in a relaxed environment, he added.
Physics club junior officer Winston Shin said he enjoyed the event as it provided an opportunity for children to learn from the interactive activities, such as the bubble station run by physics club, helping create more budding interest.
Similarly, science olympiad co-president, senior Desiree Poon said that STEM night shares several science-based extracurricular activities, with her club hosting a laser reflection activity to understand light refraction.
“I like seeing the little kids’ faces when they finally figure out how to do the activity,” Poon said. “So ours is reflecting a laser off of mirrors and when they finally get the light to hit the target, they’re super happy.”
