Though there are eight schools in District 95, the students from each school do not often get the chance to collaborate with each other. However, this year, the Women in STEAM club is bridging the gap between the schools by hosting a science fair for students grades K-8 at LZHS on February 24th.
District 95 had hosted science fairs in the past, but they have not held an in-person one since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Upon finding out they would not be hosting the event this year either, “the Women in STEAM club stepped up and took it upon themselves to run the science fair,” according to McKenna Serowka, Women in STEAM club sponsor.
“The girls really had an interest in [hosting the science fair], because many of them participated in science fairs when they were elementary or middle school aged,” Serowka said. “They reflected fondly upon those experiences and really wanted to provide that for current students.”
For Katherine Pyasik, junior and Women in STEAM club member, this was part of her motivation in planning and volunteering for the science fair.
“I chose to volunteer for the science fair because I planned it as part of my work for Women in STEAM Club and wanted to help out my fellow club members in executing the science fair,” Pyasik said. “Also, I participated in the science fair in elementary school and wanted to bring back the tradition for current students.”
In preparation for the science fair, the Women in STEAM club members created forms for the judges to fill out and give the participants constructive feedback. However, the judging is only a small part of the day for the science fair participants.
“The judges, who are high school volunteers, will come around and provide the participants with feedback on what they’re sharing, what they learned, their experiment, their design, or whatever else they chose to share for their science project,” Serowka said. “And then, students will get to do some hands-on activities, and we have [other] clubs coming [to help out for] that piece. And then finally, there’s a science show at 11 o’clock that ends the day.”
The Women in STEAM club used the science fair as an opportunity to encourage younger students who are interested in a path in the STEAM field to continue to pursue their goals.
“I’m hoping the science fair will offer students the opportunity to explore things they are passionate about and possibly looking to explore further in the future. It’s always good to start diving into your interests early to really be able to parse out what you like and don’t like,” Pyasik said.
Pyasik hopes that the Women in STEAM club will continue to host the science fair in years to come and continue to provide young students interested in STEAM fields with hands-on-experience.
“It’s a great opportunity for the club to get involved with students from across the district and we definitely have what it takes to plan it out again,” Pyasik said. “It’s a great opportunity for all grade levels, including high school volunteers, to get involved [in science].”
