This past month I have been heavily involved with the WOW program. WOW stands for Wonders of Our World and it is an immersive program that engages elementary school kids with the wonders of science. We travel to and volunteer at elementary schools where we work with the students on multiple different science experiments. These experiments that we do really impact the students’ passion for science because they are much more excited to do these fun experiments than they would be doing a boring worksheet.
As well as having a positive impact on the students that I visit, the WOW program has also benefited me tremendously. For example, this program has definitely improved my leadership skills as I am instructing my small groups of students through the completion of each experiment. In addition to fulfilling the Leadership aspect of the G.O.A.L.S., the WOW program also enables me to engage in Service outreach. This service outreach is very enriching to me because I am volunteering at inner-city, low-budget schools that can greatly benefit from positive reinforcement of the wonders of science. In sum, this experience has really given my life and my academic career a “WOW” factor.