Ridge SWENext: Getting Kids Interested in STEM at ‘Trunk or Treat’ Night!
SWENext clubs all over the world are thinking of creative events to get younger students excited about STEM! One of these clubs is Ridge SWENext, based in Suwanee, Georgia. Their club has 20 members in grades 9-12. They’ve had several engaging events for elementary school students!
One of Ridge SWENext’s favorite events to participate in is their community’s ‘Trunk or Treat’ night! This is an annual event where elementary school students are invited to dress up and trick-or-treat in their school’s parking lot and visit car trunks organized by various groups in their community. At Ridge SWENext’s trunk, they helped the students make DIY zombie guts! The SWENexters provided the students with sodium alginate and calcium chloride. They combined these ingredients to make slime, or in this case, zombie guts! While the younger students created their slime, the SWENexters took that opportunity to talk with parents and explain how elementary school-aged children can get involved in STEM. This activity was an absolute hit in their community!
If you would like to get into the Halloween spirit and try this activity at your SWENext club, Ridge SWENext recommends testing it yourself beforehand, as it can be difficult to get the proportions just right.
During the pandemic, Ridge SWENext has taken advantage of virtual platforms to share their passion for STEM with younger students! Earlier this year, their section was invited to lead a car balloon activity at an elementary school’s STEM day. The event was canceled because of the pandemic, but that didn’t stop Ridge SWENexters from spreading their engineering knowledge! They are currently in the process of creating a YouTube video to demonstrate the activity so younger students can try it at home. When they filmed this video, all Ridge SWENexters wore masks to promote hygiene and social distancing to their younger audience.
If you’d like to follow Ridge SWENext’s future projects, follow their Instagram, @ridgeswenext!
Interested in starting a SWENext Club or just want to learn more? Email swenextclubs@swe.org!
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