This past Friday (9/12), we hosted our fall kickoff volunteer training day! This provides an opportunity for new and returning volunteers to meet one another and familiarize themselves with the field trip format and the engineering design process, as well as get the opportunity to try the activities themselves.
This year, we had 25 students attending the training, 18 of them being first time volunteers. The day began with an ice breaker activity where volunteers were challenged to retrieve candy bars taped at various out of reach locations while only using miscellaneous office materials (paper, pencils, tape, scissors, etc.). Following this activity, there was a brief lecture about the Center for STEM Education’s outreach programs and what to expect from a field trip experience. Volunteers discussed proper student engagement techniques, problem solving, and the importance of STEM education in early education.
To wrap up the day, volunteers participated in a design challenge of their own: paper towers. They were first tasked with building a free standing tower of at least 3 feet while only using two sheets of paper and six inches of tape. Their next tower was designed for stability; more specifically, the towers were intended to withstand the wind and debris simulation of a hurricane. During these activities, volunteers were asked to consider the perspective of a 4th-8th grader, our target demographic, and discuss the challenges that may come up. Overall, this training day provided an engaging, hands-on learning experience for our volunteers that will prepare them for our upcoming field trips.
Thank you to all of our volunteers who attended!
