Art and Science Connect in Challenge America Project!
Explore and Soar students got the chance to work with artist and scientist mentor teams in an exciting project through Challenge America. Artist/scientist teams presented lessons at our three sites in late spring 2013 and students worked with everything from lasers to watercolors as they explored connections between the disciplines. Check out the details and pictures of each project on each school’s program page!
Engineering Some Fun at Explore and Soar!
Students at all sites were visited by engineers Melissa Thompson and Amanda McClellan and worked in collaborative groups to explore kinetic and potential energy, engineering, creative thinking and more as they used simple materials to create their own roller coasters! Through all the “ups and downs” of construction, students were given the opportunity to design, create and then revise theirv
Introduce a Girl to Engineering at the Clay Center
Some of our Explore and Soar female students participated in the annual Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day at the Clay Center during National Engineers Week 2013. Girls were able to participate in a variety of hands-on activities and explore the many branches of engineering as they met female members of each engineering branch.
Cooking Up Something Special
Students at all three Explore and Soar sites were treated to a visit by garden chef April Hamilton, who shared some playful and delicious techniques to create healthy and artful after school snacks. Several students had never had the opportunity to try many of the ingredients April introduced them to – like hummus. However, the chickpea dish now has many new Boone County converts! Students honed their culinary skills while they worked in groups to prepare their snacks and then enjoyed the fruits – and vegetables – of their labors.
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D.C. Artist Kevin Reese Works with Explore & Soar Sites!
School Sculpture artist Kevin Reese works with students all over the country to create original works of art for their schools. During fall 2012, thanks to funding from the 21
st Century Community Learning Centers grant and the Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation, Kevin was able to work with all three of our Explore & Soar sites! Each school now has a permanent sculpture installation, showcasing the work of Kevin and the students for years to come. Students used a variety of skills in creating their work including working in cooperative groups, mathematics for measurement, and engineering and design to create balanced works of art.
During the week of May 21, the Explore and Soar program celebrated with students, parents and teachers as we ended our first year of programming. Thank you to all of our site coordinators, educators, school administrators, students, mentors and Clay Center staff who helped make the program a great success!
On Thursday, March 7, students from Madison, Sherman and Van traveled to the Clay Center for an electrifying performance of rock and science by America’s Got Talent favorites, ArcAttack! During this exciting show, students learned about static electricity, tesla coils, music, amplification, and had a blast while doing so. ArcAttack was part of the Clay Center’s educational performance series.
Site Coordinators and other Boone County educators have been participating in training sessions provided by the NASA IV & V Center (Fairmont, WV). So far, NASA presenters have covered a variety of topics including solar system distance models, rocketry, lunar craters, engineering and design challenges and more. Training will continue with NASA IV & V as a partner in this exciting project!
