On Friday, February 19th, members of Science National Honors Society (SNHS), hosted a science event for kindergarten through third grade students, offering them a hands-on introduction to science through interactive experiments. Armed with a map of the C-wing, children explored various stations, featuring activities such as volcano eruptions, slime making, elephant toothpaste, fossil creation, tower building, LEGO challenges, and paper airplane construction. The event aimed to make science fun and accessible, sparking curiosity and excitement among young students. With the help of dedicated HOSA volunteers, the event successfully fostered a love for science in an engaging and educational environment .
HOSA member Priya Goswami, a sophomore at PHS, talked about her experience as a volunteer of the event. She mentions that her “role as a volunteer contributed to making this event successful”. Her role during the event was to monitor the halls. She made sure people were following the map, going in the right direction, and made sure to engage with the children and families. Her role contributed to making the event successful by making sure there was no confusion among parents, kids, and volunteers, and that the event played out in the way it was intended to.
Priya noted that the students enjoyed the hands-on activities the most.
“The kids preferred activities and labs that involved chemical reactions,” Priya said. Some of these experiments included “elephant toothpaste, volcanic eruption, and slime making…[the students were] more interested in experiments rather than simpler activities like the lego room…it was engaging because they got to learn the actual science behind the reaction, and because the reaction was fun to watch and make happen.”
Priya explained that it was rewarding seeing the kids and how much fun they were having.
“I’m glad that science brings them as much joy as it brought me,” She said. “I hope it inspires them to be more curious and pursue science in the future”. Her favorite part was seeing “their little heartwarming smiles!”
Returning member of HOSA for 4 years, Adam Butt, explained his experience as a volunteer at the event. Adam’s job was a hallway monitor, and he had to make sure “guests were not overcrowding rooms or going where they weren’t supposed to”. He ensured that “the children were enjoying their time at their designated stations”, and he made sure to “chat with parents to keep the environment friendly”.
Adam noticed that the paper plane-making station was the activity that children enjoyed the most.
He said “ the volunteers running it held up a bunch of signs, calling kids over to try it out”. He mentions that “the room was packed-even from the hallway you could see how much fun everyone was having”. Adam explains the most rewarding part of volunteering at the event was “seeing the kids so excited about science”. He says “I didn’t really get to experience much of this growing up, and it was so cool to watch them have fun with science and be a part of it”.
The SNHS Science NIght event provided young students with an engaging and hands-on introduction to science through exciting experiments and activities. Volunteers like Priya Goswami and Adam Butt played a crucial role in ensuring the event ran smoothly, helping to create a fun and educational atmosphere. Seeing the children’s excitement and curiosity made the experience rewarding for both the participants and volunteers.
