PUSD middle school MESA Academy
Porterville Unified School District middle school students are invited to attend a free MESA Saturday Academy that will take place at Harmony on Jan. 27 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Students in sixth to eighth grades get to make fun science projects and take them home.
MESA stands for Math, Engineering, Science, Achievement. The purpose of the event is to motivate more students to take an interest in Math, Engineering, and Science. The hope is that students will see how much fun these subjects are and then go on to Achieve in these fields.
The PUSD MESA Academy will provide students with the opportunity to be engaged in high energy STEM projects. This Saturday students will have time to participate in two of the four sessions being offered. Those sessions will include rocketry and electronics, as well as propeller boats and balloon jousting.
In the rocketry session, pairs of students will build, decorate and launch a model rocket. Medals will be awarded for best flights and most creative design. In the Tic Tac Flashlight session, students will use common electrical components and make a working flashlight by soldering together a simple circuit to take home to show family and friends.
In the propeller boat race, teams of 2-3 will use a hobby propeller, rubber band, and an empty bottle to construct a boat. Boats will be raced against others built in the session and awards given for traveling the farthest and having the most creative design.
In the balloon jousting activity, students will get to design and construct a jousting vehicle powered by gravity. The first to pop the balloon of their opponent wins. Medals will be awarded for best performance and most creative design.
Students will be provided with all the supplies needed for each workshop session. Since they will be engaged in messy outdoor activities, students should wear clothing that it is alright to get a bit dirty. Organizers recommend that students bring a light backpack, so they can carry their projects home.
Parents can drop students off at Harmony Magnet Academy in Strathmore. Free public transportation will also be available through the Loop transit bus which will pick up students at the three middle schools pending available seats. It will leave Pioneer at 6:30 a.m. and then head to Bartlett before picking up students at Sequoia around 7:30 a.m.
Students are expected to let organizers at the middle schools know if they are planning on riding the bus and attending so that adequate materials, seats and lunches may be ordered.
Students can begin checking in at Harmony at 8 a.m. to view a student showcase of projects. At 9 a.m. the emcee and outreach director for MESA will welcome students before their first session begins at 9:30 a.m. They’ll have another session that morning before a free lunch is provided. A special performance will be given during lunch and then awards will be announced.
MESA is a national program that is run locally by Csu-fresno and offered to students in sixth to twelfth grades. Across the Central San Joaquin Valley approximately 1,000 middle and high school students in 21 schools are currently being served. Schools from half a dozen cities participate including as far north as Fresno and Los Baños to those in the south such as Porterville and Delano.
Mayra Ruiz and Marc Wheeler have been organizing this day full of STEM activities. They hope to see lots of middle school students building projects at Harmony Magnet Academy Saturday morning. They extend their gratitude to all the volunteers who are helping to make this event possible. A special thanks as well to the PUSD administrators for their support and assistance.