STEM Nights with TANTA, Inc.
NOLA has been providing STEM Nights to local youth through TANTA Inc. once a month. As someone who has participated in these STEM Nights, I can tell you that they are a complete blast; we learn as much from the kids as they do participating! Some of our most recent projects have included learning about Idaho’s Parachuting Beavers and creating our own “drop boxes” (don’t know this history? watch this wild original footage!), designing and testing various types of bridges, and mastering the art of building circuits!
What is STEM (or STEAM)?
STEM is an acronym that stands for: Science Technology Engineering Mathematics.
STEAM is an acronym that stands for: Science Technology Engineering Arts Mathematics.
Some STEM Night Advice
Wanting to try a STEM Night yourself? Here are some tips and tricks to get you started:
You don’t have to have a huge, wide-spread event to try out a STEM Night! Jump on a GoogleMeet/Zoom with other families to do a small Virtual STEM Night, get together with friends, or do it yourself at a local green space.
Look into local resources - We are lucky to live in a town with a university and lots of wonderful nonprofits. Make sure to go online and see what (and who) are available to help you out. Many retired teachers, librarians, and other experts may jump on the opportunity to come teach kids an amazing new scientific skill or project!
Pick ideas that sound fun for you - Don’t be swayed by social media to try extravagant exploding STEM projects if the idea of cleaning that all up afterwards makes your heart race in panic. There is no right or wrong type of activities to try! It could be a simple art project with a science connection, experimentation with magnets around your house to test out the properties of magnetism, or a contained snowstorm made with just water, oil, and some Alka-Seltzers in a jar.
Community Partnership Spotlight: TANTA Inc.
Here at NOLA we are so lucky to partner with other incredible nonprofits, one of which being TANTA Inc. TANTA’s mission is “honoring ALL the women who raised and nurtured us. A legacy of enduring compassion, remarkable intelligence, and formidable tenacity.” Their initiatives are directly related to, and integrated with, their 3 pillars of Wellbeing, Safety, and Self-sufficiency. They promote and elevate what women and girls are doing in support of each other, their families and community. They help resource and amplify their efforts to ensure meaningful impact, and better improve our service delivery methods. One of the ways they do that is through their “Beyond Study Hall” program, which provides educational, emotional, and career support for students across the Treasure Valley!
Make sure to check our their amazing initiatives and how to connect with them on their website here or follow them @tanta.inc
Community Partnership Spotlight: BSU’s Microelectronics Education & Research Center(MERC)
In January, we were lucky to have some fantastic educators join us from Boise State University’s Microelectronics Education & Research Center (MERC). They brought out an Energy Stick to make a human circuit, taught us games to differentiate between conductors, semi-conductors, and insulators, and let us practice hands-on application of these ideas through SNAP Circuits! Some student favorites were the “Flying Saucer” circuit, which resulted in a flying red disc shooting into the air, and the “Musical” circuits, which played “Happy Birthday” and other loud noises.
You can find out more about BSU’s MERC on their website here or follow them @boisestatemercenter
Share with Us!
Members have access to NOLA’s exclusive Facebook Group, and anyone can tag us @outdoorlearningalliance on Instagram or Facebook to share your successes with us and find like-minded individuals!
STEM Winter Projects FREEBIE
Ready to start some wintery STEM Projects at home or with your class? Look no further than our “STEM: Winter Projects” freebie! Simply click the button below to download the PDF.
