What happens when a group of brilliant scientists and engineers bring their love of STEM to the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence? A day of discovery, experimentation, and hands-on fun that our members will never forget!
This week, employees from Thermo Fisher Scientific transformed our Club into a science playground, guiding youth through a series of interactive stations that made science feel more like magic. With real-life scientists and engineers as their mentors, our young learners became inventors, chemists, physicists, and problem-solvers—one hands-on experiment at a time.
Let’s take a look at the action-packed STEM stations that sparked curiosity and lit up imaginations:
Station 1: Electricity & Voltage
Our members became little electricians as they learned how voltage works—and even made their own batteries! Using copper pennies, washers, construction paper, and orange juice, kids built simple circuits and powered LED lights with their DIY creations. But the fun didn’t stop there—they also discovered how to create electricity through physical movement. Talk about energy in motion!
Station 2: Buoyancy & Water Displacement
Over at the water station, kids dove into the science of floating and sinking. Using aluminum foil, they crafted tiny boats and tested how many rocks each could hold before sinking. One determined young scientist managed to float 52 rocks before their boat went under! They also explored water displacement by seeing how many rocks they could drop into a full tube of water before it spilled—an exciting hands-on lesson in volume and force.
Station 3: Chemistry & Glow-in-the-Dark Slime
It wouldn’t be STEM without a little slime! Kids mixed up their own glow-in-the-dark slime using glue, baking soda, and contact lens solution—then made it their own with vibrant food coloring. The real magic? Watching their slime light up under blacklight, learning all about chemical reactions and fluorescence along the way.
Station 4: Catapult Physics
At our final stop, kids became junior physicists, designing their very own catapults out of popsicle sticks, rubber bands, and cups. Then came the ultimate test: could they launch balls into a bin? With every toss, they fine-tuned their designs and learned how force, angle, and tension work together to launch an object. Future engineers, anyone?
Thank You, Thermo Fisher!
From science experiments to mini engineering feats, the day was full of hands-on learning and big smiles. We’re so grateful to Thermo Fisher for bringing their time, talent, and passion to BGCL. Days like this ignite a lifelong love of learning—and show our members what’s possible when they believe in their own potential.
Thank you, Thermo Fisher, for making STEM come alive!