Students participate in STEM program
Students took a break from their normal morning school schedule and traveled to Eastern Oklahoma County Tech for a recent STEM Club Kickoff day.
Choctaw, Jones, Indian Meridian, Westfall, Clara Reynolds, Nicoma Park, Luther and Russell Babb elementary schools, as well as James Griffith Intermediate and Nicoma Park Intermediate School participated in the kickoff event for the club focusing on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).
At the event students were separated into different groups and participated in a straw rocket building activity, as well as a tour of the different programs led by EOC Tech faculty and staff.
The event enabled students to catch a glimpse of what EOC Tech offers, as well as gear up for the pilot year of STEM Club; a program offered to 20 selected second- and fourth-graders from 10 of the technology center’s partner elementary schools. The STEM Club began in September and meets once a week for two hours after school at the sending school site.
“The primary focus of the pilot program is to bring career awareness with hands-on STEMbased activities,” said Millisa Ellefson, EOC Tech’s REACH coordinator. “Students will work as teams to solve problems utilizing critical thinking and teamwork skills.”
The students’ on-site teacher leads them in activities, however, technical assistance and the kits, which contain each week’s activity and all of the supplies needed, is provided by EOC Tech’s REACH program.
Sadie Heath is marketing assistant at Eastern Oklahoma County Technology Center.