Kilby
Elementary
School
students
in
the
Tiger21
grant
program
turned
in
their
stamped
passports
recently
when
STREAM
Saturdays
at
the
Kilby
Elementary
Tiger21
program
wrapped
up
for
the
2021-22
school
year.
Tiger21
is
the
school's
program
through
a
21st
Century
Community
Learning
Center
Grant.
Lead
by
Teresa
Woodson,
art
teacher
and
Tiger21
grant
coordinator,
and
Michelle
Elliott,
instructional
technology
coach
and
Tiger21
family
engagement
lead,
STREAM
Saturdays
were
a
new,
popular
addition
in
which
families
came
to
school
on
Saturday
mornings
to
take
part
in
learning
activities
centered
around
science,
reading,
engineering,
art,
and
mathematics
(S-T-R-E-A-M).
Upon
arrival,
students
picked
up
passports
and
the
families
circulated
through
multiple,
subject-based
stations,
participating
together
in
hands-on
activities
and
marking
them
off
as
they
were
completed.
At
a
science
learning
station,
students
donned
gloves
and
learned
about
the
properties
of
blubber
using
vegetable
shortening,
or
lard.
The
students
insulated
their
hands
with
the
layer
of
fat,
then
stuck
them
in
ice-cold
water
to
experience
how
a
marine
mammal's
blubber
keeps
it
warm
during
extreme
winter
temperatures.
In
other
science
sessions,
participants
created
slime
and
a
snowstorm
in
a
jar
to
learn
about
chemical
reactions.
At
stations
on
technology,
students
learned
about
drones,
experienced
bioluminescence,
and
created
a
drawing
using
lights.
They
learned
about
coding,
robots,
circuits,
and
explored
taking
pictures
on
a
green
screen.
At
the
engineering
station,
students
built
different
structures,
learned
about
pulleys,
and
created
their
own
take-home
windmill.
In
a
math
station,
families
learned
how
to
play
chess
and
other
math
games
they
could
enjoy
at
home.
In
reading
stations,
they
practiced
reading
and
creative
writing.
Students
left
each
STREAM
event
with
a
book,
many
hands-on
activities,
and
a
take-home
science
experiment
to
explore.
"We
have
found
STREAM
to
be
highly
successful
for
families
because
it
allows
them
to
learn
together
on
a
Saturday
morning,"
said
Woodson.
"Attendance
has
gone
up
throughout
the
year,
and
we
have
families
asking
when
the
next
event
is.
"Right
now,
we
are
exceeding
the
grant
requirement
for
family
engagement.
For
offsite
events,
we've
gone
from
needing
one
bus
to
three.
The
fun,
hands-on
sessions
and
family
participation
enhance
engagement
and
help
students
hone
literacy,
critical
thinking,
and
problem-solving
skills.
Students
also
find
new
interests
and
families
develop
personal
connections
and
relationships.
We
are
excited
to
continue
this
success
throughout
the
summer
as
Tiger21
will
hold
a
six-week
summer
program
focusing
on
reading,
math
and
enrichment
as
well
as
hold
weekly
family
engagements
and
more
field
trips
exploring
several
more
museums."
The
Future
Brighter,
a
local
nonprofit
run
by
a
group
of
science-focused
volunteer
high
school
students,
brought
many
of
the
interactive,
hands-on
learning
lessons
to
Kilby
at
no
cost.
