Science Education Academy Participates in GSK Science in the Summer™

25 Aug Science Education Academy Participates in GSK Science in the Summer™

School may be out for the season, but science never stops! Science Education Academy, Inc was proud to be a participating site for the GSK Science in the Summer™ program in partnership with The Franklin Institute. This year’s theme was “Be a Physicist” and students in grades two through six had the opportunity to imagine themselves in various careers related to physics. This program was conducted on two Saturday mornings in July. 

First, students learned about the properties of light and then modeled how to use lasers to send transmissions between Earth and its lunar satellite. Next, students were confronted with a materials science problem; how to design both insulating and cooling fabric for athletes. In the process, they learned about the properties of heat. The following week, students explored the physics of sound and built their own megaphones. They also tackled the intricacies of electrical circuits and experimented with different conductors. The culminating event was a field trip to The Franklin Institute to further their understanding of physics with the various exhibits at the museum. 

The strength of this program is that it is accessible to young and older learners; SEA volunteers adapted the content and questions so that everyone from ages seven to eleven could take part. In addition, by role-playing real-life scenarios, our students could imagine themselves in these careers, opening up their horizons and interests as they continue on to middle and high school.