Over 150 students and parents participated in STEM Night, which kicked off with a half hour parent meeting to share information and various resources for families. While parents were learning, students were in their classrooms participating in hands-on activities.
Each grade level had two classrooms full of things to do, and parents joined in on the fun once their meeting was over. Here are just a few examples of the fun ways students engaged in STEM:
- Made baking soda and vinegar balloons to see chemical reactions.
- Studied the life cycle of a pumpkin.
- Built foil boats to carry pennies.
- Used toothpicks and marshmallows to build towers.
- Saw a robotics demonstration.
- Made drinks to reflect their personality using ratios.
“It was great,” Jurczak said. “The energy was high. I saw smiles on everyone’s faces. Students were elbow deep in activities and they really leaned in. More than anything, it was great to have that continued learning outside of school hours in a fun and engaging environment.”
While the focus of the evening was STEM, families could also meet with Communities In Schools to connect with additional resources and community partners. What may seem like a small touchpoint for parents can be a big confidence boost for students.
“Providing those resources for families is so invaluable,” Jurczak said. “We know the learning doesn’t stop when they leave the classroom. But we also know everything going on in a student’s life, whether good or challenging, might be brought back to the classroom with them. If we can do anything to make the home-to-school connection even stronger, we always want to do that.”
There were also giveaways for parents and students, and light refreshments were provided. This culmination of learning, resources, and a welcoming environment made for a fun and successful night for everyone.
“The kids ask why we only do it once a year, and the parents enjoyed themselves too,” Jurczak said. “It’s nice to see parents outside of parent-teacher conferences or those scheduled interactions. They truly wanted to have that experience with their kids.”
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About Detroit Merit Charter Academy
Detroit Merit Charter Academy is a tuition-free, public charter school in Detroit, Michigan, serving students in kindergarten through eighth grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies (NHA®) network, which includes more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through high school across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.
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