Marlborough’s three high schools, in conjunction with the Marlborough STEM Council and the National Honor Society, have partnered with the city’s elementary schools to lead a series of STEM lessons for 4th graders. The multi-school collaboration, which kicks off today, is a first in Marlborough’s history and will aim to promote STEM learning to elementary school students across the city.
Marlborough High School, Assabet Regional Technical High School and the Advanced Math & Science Academy (AMSA) have ‘adopted’ the Sgt. Charles J. Jaworek Elementary School, Raymond C. Richer Elementary School and the Francis J. Kane Elementary School, respectively. Juniors and seniors from each high school’s honor societies will teach the same predetermined STEM lessons to their elementary counterparts, imparting the value of science through fun experiments.
The first lesson, which begins today at Kane School, will focus on basic chemistry, teaching fourth grade students how to make green slime out of common household materials. The second lesson, scheduled for April and May, will focus on physics, with the tentative plan to teach elementary students how to build a catapult. The lessons will continue into the next school year.
The Marlborough STEM Council developed the idea for the collaboration with the help of AMSA senior Rachel Jackson, who has been facilitating similar lessons at Kane School for the past two years. Marlborough STEM Council leader and community outreach manager at AMSA, Mark Vital, says he hopes the new initiative will transcend STEM learning.
“For the first time in Marlborough’s history, the city’s three high schools are ‘adopting’ the three elementary schools to help promote STEM education at an early age,” Vital said. “We hope that this relationship develops and blossoms to many other activities beyond just STEM lessons.”
Launched a year ago in an effort to advance local STEM education, the Marlborough STEM Council is a first-time collaboration between the local high schools. The Council is also a joint effort between the Marlborough Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), MassHire Career Centers, Marlborough Regional Chamber of Commerce and a number of local life science and biotech companies. The council’s goal is to create working relationships between the schools’ STEM programs, allowing students to cross-collaborate and benefit from the variety of resources available at each institution. The group also aims to give students exposure to local STEM companies and the kind of jobs they offer.
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