There are many opportunities to conduct STEM-based service outreach at The Ohio State University and in the Columbus area. I participated in a volunteer project at the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) in Columbus. COSI is a science center dedicated to teaching the public (especially children) about science. As I grew up in the Columbus area, my love of science and math was reinforced by the incredible visits and field trips I made to COSI when I was younger. Due to these experiences, getting the opportunity to volunteer at COSI was incredible;it allowed me to spread my love of STEM to children the same way that others did for me. While at COSI, I roamed the halls with gyroscopes, gumdrops, and a stool with a piece of rubber, performing experiments for the visitors. The gyroscopes were used to teach the visitors about Newton’s three laws of motion, the gumdrops were used to teach the visitors about perception and the senses, and the stool and piece of rubber were used to teach the visitors about air pressure. After performing the experiments, I answered questions for as long as the children had more to ask.
STEM education is the future of modern society. Jobs will continue to exist in other fields, but as we become more technologically advanced, STEM will continue to grow exponentially. For this reason, places like COSI are imperative to the future of our country. As I was teaching the visitors about Newton’s laws of motion, the power of air pressure, and the complexity of the senses, it was clear that most children just need a spark to jump start their imaginations. Easily the most satisfying part of the experience was seeing the wonder build as they asked questions, thought of new ideas, and sought to discover more. While I reached as many children as I could throughout the day, I also know that many young people do not have access to resources like COSI. Those are the children that it is most important to reach. If given the initial chance, incredible opportunities could open up for them in the STEM fields.
One of the most difficult problems with STEM education is funding. Despite the thousands of schools and charter schools across the United States, many are underfunded and fail to affect their students in a lasting way. With other fields, this is not as much of an issue because with a library card, students can reach into any part of history, English, or literature that they want, but STEM requires more than books. Without hands-on experiences with STEM, understanding the concepts is difficult, and gaining interest is nearly impossible. For this reason, volunteering in STEM education is one of the most important and rewarding ways to spend free time. Without volunteers, people living in low income areas do not get exposed to STEM fields, limiting the scope of their imagination and talent.