Pilot Program Launches at Northeast Ohio Boys & Girls Clubs

Our first week kicked off with packed sessions at two Akron Boys & Girls Club locations. 

Thirty enthusiastic students dove into hands-on STEM activities, crowding around instructors to participate in sports-based activities. 

The students, ranging from grades Kindergarten to 8th, dribbled basketballs made of different materials after making a hypothesis on which basketball would be most efficient.  

Pre-program surveys revealed most participants had limited prior interest in STEM subjects – a metric we'll track throughout this 6-week journey.

"The energy was incredible," noted lead instructor Katie Grootegoed. "When students realized they could calculate the perfect basketball pass using physics and materials science, their eyes lit up. They're learning STEM concepts without even realizing it."

Escaping the Ohio winter, students learn about physics by passing a ball inside.