MAHWAH, NJ — In an event that some of the girls began planning before the covid pandemic, students at Mahwah High School welcomed middle schoolers to explore an array of science and technology activities at a special science night last month.
Mahwah High School’s G.E.M.S. Club (Girls Excelling in Math and Science) celebrated Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) with their special evening of fun-filled activities, offering middle school students a taste of the innovative science, technology and robotics programming they will get to experience when they attend the high school.
“Everybody should enjoy STEAM,” said Mahwah High School senior Callia Nickels, the G.E.M.S. Club president who greeted the Ramapo Ridge Middle School students as they arrived at the event in the high school T3 building March 25.
Callia, who said she would like to pursue a career in medicine, noted that G.E.M.S. started planning this event a few years ago, but it was delayed due to the pandemic.
The school district’s integrative STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) education program has been recognized by the International Technology and Engineering Education Association’s (ITEEA) STEM Center for Teaching and Learning.
Mahwah High School offers 19 electives in Visual and Integrated Design, 17 electives in Engineering and Technology, 12 electives in Information and Computer Science Technology, and 15 electives in Biotechnology Research and Health Science.
It also offers 24 courses that qualify for college credit, a Thunderbird Externship Program with Career Pathway Exploration & Job Shadowing, and a Thunderbird Internship Program with career and academic internships.
High School Teacher and G.E.M.S. Advisor Kimberly Loesche welcomed students and parents to the event, introducing students to the many available activities at the program and inviting parents attending to enjoy a student-led tour of the lab.
The club planned all the events including creative stations in constructing straw rockets, making maps for Ozobots, turning student names into binary code, printmaking, building robotic hands using straws and string,
and bookmark making.
“I think the G.E.M.S. Night is really helpful to introduce the different classes and the work we do at the high school,” said Keira Sarkissian, a sophomore, who helped with the Ozobot, or mini robot, station at the event.
Eighth grader Harinita Palanivelu created a map with colored codes and placed an Ozobot on it and watched as it navigated around the map she created.
“This event is a big opportunity for kids who want to go into mechanical or electrical engineering, robotics or computer engineering,” said Harinita, who plans to pursue a career in engineering design and architecture. Harinita made sure to try every station at the event.
In a nearby classroom, students turned their names into binary code and then created
necklaces using beads.
“I’m having fun getting to learn things like robotics, binary code and rockets,” said Shravani Pawar, an eighth grader.
Seventh grade students Jai Bellara and Dominic Hertler created planes from paper, straws and balloons and they tried to get them to fly.
